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  • Companies

    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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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.

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Companies

Chinese 'copycat' bagel shop near Korean Provisional Government site sparks backlash

A Chinese bakery mimicking Korea's popular London Bagel Museum has sparked controversy, becoming the latest in a series of “copycat” businesses imitating Korean brands. The controversy centers around a store called New York Bagelous Museum in Shanghai, which critics say replicates the concept of the Korean bagel chain. This follows similar issues involving Chinese retailers like Only Young, described as an imitation of Korea's top health and beauty store, CJ Olive Young. Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University and a vocal advocate for Korean culture, raised the issue on Facebook on Tuesday. "Many Koreans who visited China have reported this to me," Seo wrote. "A store named New York Bagelous Museum, which mimics a well-known Korean bakery, is blatantly operating in downtown Shanghai." Adding to the controversy is the store's location across from the historic site of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, a significant landmark for the Korean independence movement. "The fact that it sits directly facing the Provisional Government building is causing dis

Jan 27, 2026By Hankookilbo
Chinese 'copycat' bagel shop near Korean Provisional Government site sparks backlash
Companies

LG Energy Solution calls for deeper ties with suppliers at Partner’s Day

Major battery developer LG Energy Solution on Monday gathered its suppliers and encouraged deeper partnerships during the company’s annual Partner’s Day. The event, held at the company’s headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, brought together representatives from about 80 partner firms in battery materials and parts sectors. LG Energy Solution CEO Kim Dong-myung attended the event alongside the company’s chief strategy officer, chief technology officer, chief quality officer and director of procurement, representing the LG Group subsidiary. Kim touted the partner firms’ performances last year despite a challenging economic environment. He praised them for their dedication, noting that their efforts helped LG Energy Solution post increased sales, particularly in the energy storage system (ESS) business, as the company signed multiple large-scale projects last year. “This year, we will not turn a blind eye to the rapidly changing global ESS market. We will secure product diversity and stabilize supply chains. In the electric vehicle (EV) sector, we will strengthen medium- to long-ter

Jan 27, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
LG Energy Solution calls for deeper ties with suppliers at Partner’s Day
Companies

InterviewHyundai Motor workers should upskill to coexist with robots: ILO director

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — A senior official from the International Labour Organization (ILO) advised Hyundai Motor workers to acquire new skills that will remain essential even after the introduction of Atlas humanoid robots on the carmaker’s assembly lines. Speaking to The Korea Times on the sidelines of the Global Labor Market Conference in Saudi Arabia's capital city of Riyadh on Monday (local time), Lee Sang-heon, director of the ILO's Employment Policy Department, described the Hyundai Motor union’s recent efforts to block the use of artificial intelligence (AI) robots as “unrealistic.” “The union’s protest is a typical bargaining tactic,” he said. “The strategy itself is not surprising, but for workers, finding ways to coexist with robots is a more practical approach.” Lee, the first and only Korean policy director at the Geneva-headquartered United Nations agency, made the remarks as the union engaged in what some observers and Korean news outlets described as a kind of modern-day "Luddism." On Thursday, the union warned that “not a single robot” could be depl

Jan 27, 2026By Park Jae-hyuk
Hyundai Motor workers should upskill to coexist with robots: ILO director
Companies

Hanwha signs 5 MOUs with Canadian firms to boost submarine project odds

Hanwha Group has sealed multiple deals with Canadian steel, artificial intelligence (AI), satellite communication and aerospace firms to strengthen bilateral partnerships, as Canada approaches a decision between Korea and Germany for its submarine construction project. The deals signed in Toronto on Monday (local time) were part of a Korea-Canada industrial cooperation forum. A representative of the presidential office and the ministers of industry and defense participated in the event, emphasizing the Korean government’s strong commitment to winning the bidding process. Hanwha Group’s shipbuilding arm, Hanwha Ocean, and defense systems affiliate, Hanwha Systems, jointly signed five memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Canadian companies. The agreements outline proposals to provide industrial and technological benefits to Canadian firms, aligning with Ottawa’s “Buy Canadian” initiative amid rising global trade protectionism. Hanwha Ocean signed an MOU with Canadian steelmaker Algoma Steel. Under the agreement, the two companies will cooperate on the construction of a new s

Jan 27, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
Hanwha signs 5 MOUs with Canadian firms to boost submarine project odds
Companies

BYD Korea aims to sell 10,000 units in 2026 on expanded lineup

BYD Korea, the Korean unit of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker BYD, said Tuesday it seeks to sell over 10,000 vehicles here this year, marking a 64 percent spike from its 2025 sales on expanded product lineup. In its first year of operations in Korea in 2025, BYD Korea sold a total of 6,107 passenger vehicles, according to the company. "While 2025 was a honeymoon period during which BYD worked closely with its dealer partners to lay the groundwork, this year will mark the first year of its full-fledged leap in Korea's passenger car market," it said in a press release. BYD currently offers three models in Korea: the Atto 3 compact sport utility vehicle (SUV), the midsize Seal sedan and the midsize Sealion 7 SUV. The Chinese automaker said it plans to add three more models to its lineup this year: a rear-wheel-drive version of the Seal, the Dolphin compact hatchback and a Dual Mode intelligent (DM-i) model equipped with BYD's plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) technology. To boost sales, BYD plans to expand its retail network to 35 showrooms and 26 after-sales service centers by the

Jan 27, 2026By Yonhap
BYD Korea aims to sell 10,000 units in 2026 on expanded lineup
Companies

SK hynix becomes sole supplier of HBM for Microsoft AI chips: sources

SK hynix has been named the exclusive supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for U.S. tech giant Microsoft's latest artificial intelligence (AI) chip, sources said Tuesday. According to the sources, the Korean chipmaker was tapped as the sole supplier of HBM3Es, the fifth-generation of HBM, for Microsoft's Maia 200 accelerator designed for the U.S. company's AI data centers. Microsoft, which did not clarify its HBM supplier in its release, described Maia 200 as "the most efficient inference system" the company has ever deployed, noting it is already installed at its data center in Iowa. The latest deal comes amid intensifying competition between Samsung Electronics and SK hynix in the application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) sector, which refers to custom chips designed for particular applications, such as those ordered by Google, Microsoft and Amazon. Sources said Nvidia and AMD have recently completed quality tests of Samsung Electronics' sixth-generation HBM4 products, with official supply slated to begin next month. SK hynix, meanwhile, is gearing up for full-fledged production

Jan 27, 2026By Yonhap
SK hynix becomes sole supplier of HBM for Microsoft AI chips: sources
Companies

Korean industries becoming resilient against Trump's tariff tantrums

Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat Monday (local time) to impose fresh tariffs, adding uncertainty for Korean industries, the country’s industrial sector and stock market showed signs of growing resilience to trade pressure from Washington. Analysts and industry officials said Tuesday the latest threat is likely to be resolved in the short term, noting that Trump took issue with the slow progress in implementing the Korea-U.S. trade agreement, which depends on the domestic Korean political process. Industry sources said companies increasingly share the view that the more they respond to tariff issues, the worse the situation tends to become, adding that tariff-related uncertainty has effectively become the new norm in their operations. Trump said in a Truth Social post that he is raising auto tariffs and other "reciprocal" tariffs on Korea to 25 percent from 15 percent, claiming that the Korean legislature has not yet completed the process to implement the countries' bilateral trade deal reached last November. Following Trump’s announcement, the stock prices of Hyundai Mo

Jan 27, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Korean industries becoming resilient against Trump's tariff tantrums
Companies

PR ONE signs exclusive partnership with PROI Worldwide in Korea

PR ONE, an integrated communications firm in Korea, said Tuesday it has signed an exclusive partnership with PROI Worldwide, the world’s fifth-largest communications group by revenue, becoming PROI’s sole partner in Korea. The deal aims to strengthen PR ONE’s global competitiveness by combining its local market expertise with PROI’s international network, supporting both foreign companies entering Korea and Korean firms expanding overseas. PROI Worldwide operates a network of 90 independent agencies in 65 countries across North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. “Our partnership with PROI marks an important milestone in our global expansion,” said Cho Jae-hyung, CEO of PR ONE. “We aim to build scalable business models and accelerate growth.” Angela Scaffidi, global chair of PROI Worldwide, said PR ONE’s market insight and track record align well with PROI’s global strategy. Founded in 2006, PR ONE has completed more than 2,200 projects and provides services including media relations, crisis management, integrated marketing communi

Jan 27, 2026By Kang Seung-woo
PR ONE signs exclusive partnership with PROI Worldwide in Korea
Companies

SK Innovation E&S begins production at Australian gas field

SK Innovation E&S, the energy unit of Korea's SK Group, said Tuesday it has begun production at an offshore gas field in Australia in which it invested 14 years ago. The initial cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced at the Barossa gas field, located about 300 kilometers off Australia's northwestern coast, has been transported to the nearby Darwin LNG terminal and shipped to Japan, the company said in a press release. The milestone marks the first time a Korean private-sector company has achieved LNG production through an overseas resource development project. Starting with the initial output, SK Innovation E&S is expected to secure 1.3 million tons of LNG annually from the Barossa field over the next 20 years, equivalent to about 3 percent of Korea's annual LNG imports, it said. "The projected LNG volumes will help both the company and the country better cope with uncertainties in the global energy market, which is vulnerable to geopolitical risks, such as international disputes," a company official said. SK Innovation E&S acquired a 37.5 percent stake in the Barossa gas field in

Jan 27, 2026By Yonhap
SK Innovation E&S begins production at Australian gas field
Banking & Finance

Citi Korea provides K-SURE-backed financing for iMarketKorea’s US industrial complex project

Citi Korea has partnered with the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation to support iMarketKorea’s industrial complex development project in the United States, aimed at helping Korean companies establish local production bases and expand their global operations, the lender said Tuesday. Under the deal, Citi Korea acted as the sole coordinator for a $60 million syndicated loan, backed by K-SURE’s overseas project finance insurance program. The financing is expected to help ease initial investment costs and mitigate financial risks for Korean companies preparing to establish manufacturing facilities and business operations in the U.S. iMarketKorea, a B2B company providing maintenance, repair and operations services to corporate clients, plans to accelerate the development of an industrial complex in Taylor, Texas, using the funds. The site is located near clusters of global semiconductor, electric vehicle and other advanced manufacturing companies, and demand is expected to grow from Korean firms seeking to secure production bases in the U.S. A Citi Korea official said it has a long track re

Jan 27, 2026By Lee Hyo-sik
Citi Korea provides K-SURE-backed financing for iMarketKorea’s US industrial complex project
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