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    FTC approves Coupang’s co-prosperity plan for its private brand contract

    The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has approved a 3 billion won ($2 million) "co-prosperity" remedy package proposed by Coupang to resolve its allegation that the e-commerce giant unfairly slashed supply prices for its private brand (PB) products. The decision will allow Coupang to avoid regulatory sanctions and will instead fund product development, advertising and other related expenses for its subcontractors. Since October 2022, Coupang had been under investigation for violating the Fair Transactions in Subcontracting Act. The company allegedly failed to issue formal, legally compliant contracts to 314 subcontractors. It was also accused of forcing 94 suppliers to fund uncontracted promotional events and cut supply prices for its PB goods. The FTC finalized Tuesday the consent decree for Coupang and Coupang Private Label Brands, which handles manufacturing and sales operations for the retailer’s private brand products. Under the consent decree, companies can settle antitrust cases without admitting liability by offering voluntary remedies. The decision marks the first time a consent dec

    2 MIN READBy Lee Min-hyung
    FTC approves Coupang’s co-prosperity plan for its private brand contract
  • Companies

    Homeplus ordered by court to submit 200 bil.-won funding plan by next week

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Homeplus ordered by court to submit 200 bil.-won funding plan by next week
  • Tech & Science

    LG Chem bets $9.7 bil. on semiconductors, mobility, robotics materials

    2 MIN READBy Lee Gyu-lee
    LG Chem bets $9.7 bil. on semiconductors, mobility, robotics materials
  • Banking & Finance

    New fire protection association chief vows shift from response to prevention

    2 MIN READBy Lee Hyo-jin
    New fire protection association chief vows shift from response to prevention
  • Business

    Samsung Electronics, SK hynix to benefit further from AI memory bottleneck

    2 MIN READBy Lee Yeon-woo
    Samsung Electronics, SK hynix to benefit further from AI memory bottleneck
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Banking & Finance

KRX to introduce AI monitoring system to prevent pump-and-dump schemes

Korea's main bourse operator said Monday it will start operating an artificial intelligence (AI)-based market monitoring system this week, to strengthen its detection of unfair stock trading. The new system, set to be introduced Tuesday, comes in line with a set of measures announced in July by the Korea Exchange (KRX) and financial authorities to eradicate unfair trading practices in the local capital market. Such a move came after President Lee Jae Myung called for stronger measures to improve investors' trust in the local stock market, warning his administration will show stock price manipulators that they can "lose everything." The AI detection system aims to prevent pump-and-dump schemes, or the improper boosting of stock prices, typically by spreading false or misleading information online. According to the KRX, the AI will comprehensively analyze data such as online posts, videos, spam text reports and stock price data to flag equities that are highly subject to the unfair "pumping" of prices. A human will then monitor the price trends of suspicious stocks detected by the AI and ta

Feb 2, 2026By Yonhap
KRX to introduce AI monitoring system to prevent pump-and-dump schemes
Companies

Lotte, Hyundai selected as new duty-free zone operators at Incheon Int'l Airport

Incheon International Airport (IIAC), operator of Korea's main gateway, has selected Lotte Duty Free and Hyundai DF as candidates for duty-free zone operators vacated by two other retailers, according to company officials Monday. Lotte and Hyundai were selected as the candidates Friday after submitting bids for licenses to operate the DF1 and DF2 zones on Jan. 20. The previous operators, Shinsegae Duty Free and Hotel Shilla, returned their business licenses due to declining sales. "We selected the two companies as qualified operators for the zones after reviewing their submitted documents and have notified the Korea Customs Service of the results," an IIAC spokesperson said. Once the customs office approves the selection, IIAC will sign final contracts with the two companies covering the operation of the duty-free zones and other operating rights. If approved, the two companies will be able to operate the zones — one per company — for seven years through June 2033, with an option to extend the contracts to up to 10 years, according to IIAC. Shinsegae plans to terminate operations in t

Feb 2, 2026By Yonhap
Lotte, Hyundai selected as new duty-free zone operators at Incheon Int'l Airport
Companies

GM, Renault take different paths in Korea

General Motors (GM) Korea is accelerating its import-based sales strategy, in what critics argue stands in contrast with Renault Korea’s strong localization drive, according to industry officials Sunday. Last week, General Motors Truck Company (GMC), owned by GM, unveiled three premium models — the Arcadia SUV, the Canyon pickup truck and the Hummer EV all-electric SUV. The introduction of the three new models to Korea is part of GM’s multi-brand strategy aimed at building the carmaker's footing for sustainable growth in Korea. The U.S. carmaker also shared its plan to introduce its Buick premium brand here by the end of this year. This will expand GM's foothold in the local market to four brands — Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick — which the carmaker touted as a symbolic outcome, as Korea will become the first market outside North America where all four brands are sold. GMC’s launch of the diverse models made headlines, but it leaves much to be desired that the carmaker relies on imports of new vehicles, rather than expanding the number of models produced here, at a time w

Feb 2, 2026By Lee Min-hyung
GM, Renault take different paths in Korea
Companies

Hyundai Motor Group under pressure to rebalance portfolio amid renewed tariff risks

Hyundai Motor Group is facing mounting pressure to market its higher-margin premium models more broadly and lower its reliance on the United States, as the carmaker tries to sustain growth amid renewed tariff risks, experts said Sunday. Market watchers said the group is unlikely to achieve a meaningful earnings rebound this year without changing its approach, noting that U.S. auto tariffs resulted in trillions of won in losses for its Hyundai and Kia brands last year. The tariff risk appeared to ease in November last year after the U.S. lowered an auto tariff on imports from Korea to 15 percent from 25 percent, following a new trade agreement between the two countries. However, with the Donald Trump administration recently threatening to reinstate the higher tariff on Korean vehicles, Hyundai Motor Group is once again exposed to external trade risks. Experts said the carmaker has to maximize sales of highly profitable models, such as luxury SUVs and vehicles with hybrid powertrains, to offset the firm’s potential earnings decline. “The carmaker needs to increase sales of profitable mo

Feb 2, 2026By Lee Min-hyung
Hyundai Motor Group under pressure to rebalance portfolio amid renewed tariff risks
Companies

PHOTO 'Punish Bom Kim'

Unionized couriers and bereaved family members of people who died while working at Coupang's logistics centers chant during a rally in front of Coupang's Korean head office in Seoul, Sunday, urging the government to punish the U.S.-headquartered e-commerce firm's founder, Kim Bom-suk, also known as Bom Kim. The couriers asked the company to halt its seven-day-a-week delivery service for at least three days during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday from Feb. 14 to 18. Yonhap

Feb 1, 2026By Park Jae-hyukphoto
[PHOTO] 'Punish Bom Kim'
Companies

Top trade negotiators take turns visiting US to avert tariff hike

The government has dispatched more top trade negotiators to Washington in an effort to prevent the United States from raising its tariff on Korean goods back to 25 percent, from 15 percent, the level agreed upon last year. According to sources familiar with the matter on Sunday, Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo held a series of meetings with officials from the Donald Trump administration and U.S. lawmakers as soon as he arrived in Washington on Friday (local time). The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, however, declined to confirm whether Yeo met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer over the weekend or when the trade minister would meet his U.S. counterpart during his U.S. trip that ends Thursday. “It is difficult to disclose the trade minister’s schedule at this moment,” a ministry spokesperson said. “We will announce who he met after his trip concludes.” From Wednesday to Friday, Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan visited Washington to meet with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Kim, who had been in Canada last week to support Hanwha’s submarine construction b

Feb 1, 2026By Park Jae-hyuk
Top trade negotiators take turns visiting US to avert tariff hike
Companies

Chinese tech firms hit by expanded Texas ban

Chinese technology companies are facing expanded statewide bans in Texas over concerns that their products could be used to collect personal data and pose security risks. Texas has strengthened restrictions on the use of technologies linked to Chinese firms, citing risks related to personal data harvesting and potential national security threats. The move comes as a joint venture between China’s TCL and Japan’s Sony is set to launch in April next year, heightening industry concerns that regulatory scrutiny of Chinese-linked technology and supply chains may intensify. According to the official Texas state website, Gov. Greg Abbott said technologies affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government are now fully prohibited from use by state employees and on government-issued devices. “Hostile adversaries harvest user data through artificial intelligence, hardware and applications to exploit and manipulate users,” Abbott said, adding that Texas would not allow such technologies to threaten residents’ privacy or undermine state security. The updated list of proh

Feb 1, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Chinese tech firms hit by expanded Texas ban
Companies

Coupang's Korean unit sent some $620 mil. in expenses to its US headquarters in 2024

The Korean unit of online retailer Coupang transferred more than 900 billion won ($620 million) in expenses to its headquarters in the United States in 2024, according to an industry report analyzed by Yonhap News Agency on Sunday. The value of Coupang's so-called related-party expenses sent to its head office or other companies based in the U.S. totaled 939 billion won in 2024, according to the company's audit report. The report also showed that expenses transferred to the U.S., including service fees and royalties, amounted to more than 2.5 trillion won from 2020 to 2024. However, the audit report provides only broad expense categories, making it difficult to determine whether the services or usage fees were calculated at fair market value. Industry watchers have raised concerns that the structure may be designed to reduce profits at the Korean entity while increasing assets at the U.S. parent company. Some have also questioned whether the lack of transparency in calculating the transferred funds could indicate attempts to minimize tax liabilities in both Korea and the U.S. "Dividends ar

Feb 1, 2026By Yonhap
Coupang's Korean unit sent some $620 mil. in expenses to its US headquarters in 2024
Business

'Culinary Class Wars' chef Anh Sung-jae promotes Korean beef, pork, seaweed

Michelin-starred fine dining chef Anh Sung-jae has become an active promoter of Korean beef, pork and seaweed after gaining global recognition as a judge on both seasons of Netflix’s hit cooking series “Culinary Class Wars.” According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the chef recently visited Singapore with Minister Song Mi-ryung to attend an event on Friday celebrating the launch of Jeju Island’s beef and pork exports to the city-state. Jeju’s beef and pork have been distributed in the Southeast Asian country since December, after a quarantine agreement was signed between Korea and Singapore last November during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. A month after exports began, Singapore became the world’s second-largest importer of Korean beef, prompting Korea to host the event to sustain the growing interest. “In front of Singapore’s government officials, exporters, importers, local media and influencers, Anh explained what makes Korean beef and pork stand out from other countries’ meat,” the m

Feb 1, 2026By Park Jae-hyuk
'Culinary Class Wars' chef Anh Sung-jae promotes Korean beef, pork, seaweed
Companies

InterviewKorean beef needs K-food branding for global promotion

Cattle bred in Korea, known as “hanwoo,” are popular here for their quality taste despite expensive prices. However, outside the country, the fame falls short compared to Japanese and American products, according to a regional hanwoo farmers’ association chief who recently made headlines for expanding hanwoo’s global market. Eum Kyung-ik, chairman of Hoengseong Hanwoo, a livestock cooperative in Hoengseong County, Gangwon Province, said hanwoo’s global recognition still remains below Japanese wagyu and U.S. beef. The differing popularity is in tandem with their global markets. While U.S. beef is now being distributed to over 100 nations and wagyu to over 50 nations, hanwoo is now available in just six. The main challenge is to increase the awareness of hanwoo among global consumers. Eum, 70, said the most effective way to do this is to link hanwoo to K-food’s current worldwide boom. He added that for a premium beef brand with limited production, proper branding must support its global promotion. “The more popular K-food gets worldwide, the more naturally hanwoo can benefit

Jan 31, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
Korean beef needs K-food branding for global promotion
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