SK Group, South Korea's third-largest conglomerate, said Thursday that it plans to raise its investment by 31 percent this year from a year ago to 10.5 trillion won ($9.4 billion).
The biggest investment ever represents 10 percent of SK Group's 2010 sales and is twice its 2005 investment, the group said in a statement.
SK Group will spend 8.8 trillion won on its domestic business, including information and telecommunications. One of the group's flagships is SK Telecom Co., South Korea's top mobile carrier.
Of its domestic capital spending, SK Group will use 1.4 trillion won toward research and development to preempt future core technologies such as green energy technologies, the group said.
SK Group will invest 1.7 trillion won in the overseas exploration of natural resources including crude and natural gas.
SK Group also said it plans to hire 3,000 new employees this year, up 25 percent from a year ago.