my timesThe Korea Times
bkim

Kim Bo-eun

Korea Times Digital Content Reporter

Bo-eun leads the digital content team. She has covered foreign affairs, North Korea, tech, economy and gender issues at The Korea Times. She did a short stint at the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, where she obtained a new perspective on news production and life. Small sources of joy for her are lounging in the sun, having a good latte and swimming.

Go to Email

Read more

Companies

India emerging as promising EV market

Workers are seen at a Hyundai Motor factory in Chennai, India. Courtesy of Hyundai MotorBy Kim Bo-eunCarmakers are increasingly focusing on India's market for electric vehicles (EV), given that it is projected to grow substantially in the coming years, as the country accelerates its drive to tackle air pollution and reduce its dependency on oil.India's electric vehicle market is expected to reach $17 billion in scale by 2026, up from $5.47 billion in 2020, according to market tracker Mordor Intelligence. The Indian government has pledged to have EVs account for 30 percent of private vehicles by 2030. With the world's second-largest population after China, India is regarded as a promising market for EV manufacturers in the long term.Automakers are moving quickly to capitalize on opportunities in the Indian EV market. A Reuters report stated that Hyundai Motor has taken part in the bidding for incentives to build a $2.4-billion EV battery facility there, along with local firms.The Indian government is seeking to set up a facility storing 50 gigawatt-hours of batteries over the next fiv

Jan 16, 2022By Kim Bo-eun
India emerging as promising EV market
Companies

Foreign businesses call for 'clarity' in Korea's industrial accident law

New risk for CEOs feared to to curb further investmentBy Kim Bo-eunForeign businesses operating here are calling on the Korean government to ensure more “clarity” and “predictability” in a strengthened law over serious industrial accidents, claiming that it could hamper foreign investment and force many of them to consider pulling out of Korean markets. Foreign firms share the view that industrial accidents need to be prevented, but there are concerns over the new law that will go into effect later this month, since many of the key terms remain vague and open to interpretation while placing the burden of responsibility on top executives. Under the new law, CEOs can be held criminally liable for serious industrial accidents if their companies did not have the required safety measures in place. The Serious Accident Punishment Act that goes into effect on Jan. 27 states that the owner or chief manager of a business can face a minimum one-year prison term or a maximum fine of 1 billion won ($841.49 million) if an industrial accident involving a death occurs when a

Jan 16, 2022By Kim Bo-eun
Foreign businesses call for 'clarity' in Korea's industrial accident law
Companies

Novavax COVID-19 vaccine gets approval

A worker is seen at SK Bioscience's plant manufacturing the COVID-19 vaccine of U.S. biotech company Novavax in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, in this photo. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Wednesday authorized the use of Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine. The protein-based vaccine, Nuvaxovid, is the fifth COVID-19 vaccine to obtain approval for use here. Courtesy of SK Bioscience

Jan 12, 2022By Kim Bo-eun
Novavax COVID-19 vaccine gets approval
Companies

Korea's Sputnik V production consortium faces uncertainties

Russia's COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V / AP-NewsisBy Kim Bo-eunAlmost a year has passed since the Hankook Korus Pharm-led consortium was assigned to produce Russia's COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, but production continues to be delayed. The consortium is facing uncertainties as its Russian partner is known to have requested the terms of an earlier agreement to be changed.Hankook Korus Pharm's parent company, GL Rapha, set up a contract with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) for the consortium of Korean companies to undertake Sputnik V's production in February last year. The consortium and the RDIF had initially agreed to produce 500 million of Sputnik V's first doses. Nevertheless industry sources stated that the RDIF requested in November last year that the consortium produce the vaccine's second doses, which has different components from the first. The production yield of Sputnik V's second dose is lower under current production capacities, and therefore less profitable, according to industry officials. The consortium initially had seven members but it has changed over the past

Jan 12, 2022By Kim Bo-eun
Korea's Sputnik V production consortium faces uncertainties
Companies

Apple to allow app developers to use outside payments

The entrance of the renovated Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in New York City is pictured on Sept. 19, 2019. AFP-YonhapIndustry insiders question efficacy of regulationBy Kim Bo-eunApple said it will comply with a ruling to allow payment systems other than its own in its App Store, Korea's ICT regulator said Tuesday. Apple had been mum about its plans after the introduction of related regulations last year, but it finally released its stance, following Google's decision to comply with the revised law last month.Korea's National Assembly in September passed the world's first law barring app market operators such as Google and Apple from imposing a certain means of payment on app developers. The new regulation was introduced after complaints were filed over the practice of tech giants forcing their own payment systems on app developers.Apple said that the commission rate it would impose for outside payment systems would be less than what it charges for payments made with Apple's system, which is 30 percent of the amount paid for purchasing apps, but did not present any more details. The U

Jan 11, 2022By Kim Bo-eun
Apple to allow app developers to use outside payments
Companies

Kakao CEO nominee Ryu resigns over stock controversy

Tech giant pledges to come up with related guidelines for employees', investors' interestsBy Kim Bo-eunFormer Kakao Pay CEO Ryu Young-joon / Courtesy of KakaoPayKakao stated Monday that its co-CEO nominee, Ryu Young-joon, would not take the top post at the tech giant, following a snowballing controversy over his selloff of Kakao affiliate stocks.Ryu is the former CEO of Kakao Pay, the mobile money transfer affiliate of Kakao Group. Ryu led the successful initial public offering (IPO) of the company on Nov. 3, but sold off 90 billion won ($75.05 million) worth of Kakao Pay stocks, along with seven other executives, on Dec. 10. Ryu on his own sold 230,000 stocks at 204,017 won per share, from which he reaped 46.9 billion won in profits.Even though Ryu withdrew his nomination, the fintech stock dropped to 146,500 won at Monday's closing, down 3.26 percent from Friday's close. Kakao Pay's stock price has been tumbling since the mass selloff in December. The company's stock closed at 208,500 won on Dec. 9 before the mass selloff began. A selloff of stocks by company management generally h

Jan 10, 2022By Kim Bo-eun
Kakao CEO nominee Ryu resigns over stock controversy
Companies

Severance Hospital tops industry-wide NCSI ranking for 2021

Visitors to Severance Hospital send a message of encouragement to a patient via their smartphones. The message is displayed on the electronic board seen in the photo. Severance introduced the system, as the hospital limits physical visits by family members to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Courtesy of Severance HospitalSamsung C&T, Daegu Metropolitan Transit, Kumkang among other notable firmsBy Kim Bo-eunSeverance Hospital topped the industry-wide customer satisfaction NCSI ranking this year, with 84 points. The NCSI ranking is determined based on customer evaluations of the companies' products and services. The index is released on an annual basis to enhance the competitiveness of firms and industries.The Korea Productivity Center (KPC), which publishes the index, ranked 333 companies of 80 sectors for 2021. NCSI is a global index, with its model employed by more than 30 countries around the world, including the U.S. and 20 European countries.Severance Hospital was evaluated by patients as having kept them safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and having provided other satisfactory

Jan 9, 2022By Kim Bo-eun
Severance Hospital tops industry-wide NCSI ranking for 2021
Companies

Customer satisfaction expected to grow for OTT services

KPC identifies notable trends in media, fashion, food and cosmeticsBy Kim Bo-eunGetty Images BankThe Korea Productivity Center (KPC) projects customer satisfaction will grow for media streaming platforms as competition intensifies among companies offering these services to attract subscribers, as these have become a key source of entertainment amid the COVID-19 pandemic.The NCSI index measuring companies' customer satisfaction levels added over-the-top (OTT) media service providers and music streaming companies this year, given users of these services has grown. The KPC publishes the index on an annual basis to help enhance the competitiveness of local companies.The KPC expects customer satisfaction levels to rise for OTT services, as competition heats up among companies to offer better quality services at lower subscription rates to secure greater market share, given high consumer interest.The entry of global OTT players is forecasted to further boost competition among platforms to offer better services for consumers. Disney Plus and Apple TV+ launched their service here in recent m

Jan 9, 2022By Kim Bo-eun
Customer satisfaction expected to grow for OTT services
Companies

SK promotes eco-friendly tech at CES 2022

Models promote SK Telecom's artificial intelligence (AI) processor Sapeon at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022 held at the Las Vegas Convention Center Jan. 5 to 7. The chip uses 80 percent of the power used by existing graphics processing units, the company said. Courtesy of SK TelecomBy Kim Bo-eunSK Group's theme at CES 2022 is eco-friendly technology, spanning from artificial intelligence (AI)-powered semiconductors to electric vehicle (EV) batteries.Affiliates including SK Telecom, SK Innovation and SK hynix have been presenting the group's pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, at the world's largest tech show running until Friday, local time, in Las Vegas.SK Telecom (SKT) presented its AI-powered "Sapeon" semiconductor and its single radio access network (SRAN) technology, which enables mobile carriers to support multiple mobile communications standards and wireless services on a single network. The SRAN technology uses 53 percent of the power used by a network that employs only a single mobile communications standard, SKT said. Sapeon, meanwhile, uses 80 percent of

Jan 7, 2022By Kim Bo-eun
SK promotes eco-friendly tech at CES 2022
Companies

SK Innovation declares carbon neutrality as key goal for 2022

SK Innovation Vice Chairman Kim Jun, first from left, speaks with executives in a strategy meeting held at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022 in Las Vegas, Thursday, local time. Courtesy of SK InnovationBy Kim Bo-eunSK Innovation declared carbon neutrality as a key pursuit in managing its businesses in 2022, at the company's first management-level meeting held at the Consumer Electronics Show 2022 in Las Vegas, Thursday, local time.At the meeting, Vice Chairman Kim Jun reviewed the company's net-zero plans, based on the company's “Carbon to Green” strategy that he unveiled last July. He pledged the company would achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions before 2050.This is part of SK Group's “Net-Zero Pledge” unveiled earlier. SK has pledged to cut 200 million tons of carbon emissions globally by 2030. "Carbon neutrality is a goal we must all achieve for a sustainable future," Kim was cited as saying at the meeting. "The final destination of our Carbon to Green plan is achieving net-zero emissions."At the meeting they shared plans to cut Scope 1, 2 and 3

Jan 7, 2022By Kim Bo-eun
SK Innovation declares carbon neutrality as key goal for 2022
previous page
1011121314
next page

Top 5 stories

Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.