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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

    Stray Kids' Felix named global ambassador for Korean fried chicken campaign

    1 MIN READBy Hankookilbo
    Stray Kids' Felix named global ambassador for Korean fried chicken campaign
  • Banking & Finance

    Rising leveraged investments pose threats to financial stability: BOK

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Rising leveraged investments pose threats to financial stability: BOK
  • Companies

    LG launches wireless wallpaper, transparent OLED TVs

    2 MIN READBy Lee Gyu-lee
    LG launches wireless wallpaper, transparent OLED TVs
  • Companies

    JTBC says 'no disruption' in World Cup broadcast despite financial issues

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    JTBC says 'no disruption' in World Cup broadcast despite financial issues
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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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Banking & Finance

US makes rare intervention in Korea’s FX market

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s rare intervention in Korea’s foreign exchange market comes as the two countries recognize the need to jointly address the rapid depreciation of the Korean won, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance on Thursday. The rare verbal intervention reflects the importance of the Korean won’s stability for bilateral economic cooperation, including Korea’s planned $20 billion annual investment in the U.S. as agreed to in tariff negotiations last year, Deputy Minister for International Economic Affairs Choi Ji-young said. His remark came after Bessent addressed the won’s depreciation in a social media post and a readout posted by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In a rare intervention by a top U.S. economic policymaker, Bessent noted that the won’s depreciation “was not in line with Korea’s strong economic fundamentals.” According to the readout, the secretary also “emphasized that excess volatility in the foreign exchange market is undesirable, and reaffirmed that Korea’s strong economic performance, especially in key indu

Jan 15, 2026By Yi Whan-woo
US makes rare intervention in Korea’s FX market
Tech & Science

Korea gauges impact of Trump’s 25% chip tariff order

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) enacted a new 25 percent tariff on certain advanced chips, including Nvidia’s H200 artificial intelligence (AI) accelerators, introducing greater uncertainties across the entire semiconductor supply chain. Semiconductor companies in Korea are scrambling to assess their exposure across global supply chains in the wake of the move. Many memory chips bound for Nvidia are first shipped to third countries for integration into finished products before being exported to the United States, limiting immediate impact on Korean firms. However, higher costs are often passed down the supply chain, and Trump has also warned of broader tariffs, forcing companies to navigate fresh uncertainties. According to Trump’s proclamation and a White House fact sheet, the president imposed a 25 percent tariff on advanced computing chips such as the Nvidia’s H200 and AMD MI325X. The fact sheet noted, “This tariff will not apply to chips that are imported to support the buildout of the U.S. technology supply chain and the strengthening of domestic manuf

Jan 15, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Korea gauges impact of Trump’s 25% chip tariff order
Banking & Finance

Investors urged to seek $29.3 mil. in unclaimed dividends and other financial assets

Investors are being encouraged to check for unclaimed dividends and shares worth a combined 43.2 billion won ($29.3 million), associated with over 2 million shares, the Korea Securities Depository (KSD) said Thursday. The stock deposit service provider’s campaign aims to help shareholders locate their unclaimed financial assets, including 24.95 billion won held by the Korea Inclusive Finance Agency under a law supporting financial access for ordinary citizens. The 43 billion won comes from “unregistered shares,” which arise when investors withdraw physical share certificates from securities firms but fail to register them in their own name. Investors typically withdraw shares for safekeeping, for transfer or to put them up as collateral for loans. While the shares remain legally unregistered, dividends and bonus shares — collectively called entitlements from unregistered shares — are generated but remain unclaimed until shareholders file a claim. Since 2018, KSD has conducted a campaign to help investors reclaim these assets, and so far has returned about 2.91 billion won to own

Jan 15, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Investors urged to seek $29.3 mil. in unclaimed dividends and other financial assets
Banking & Finance

Brokerages woo investors back to Korean stocks amid won's weakness

Securities firms have rolled out aggressive marketing campaigns, including fee waivers and free share offerings, to lure individual investors who have shifted to overseas stock markets back to domestic equities, in line with government initiatives, industry officials said Thursday. The government has announced a range of incentives, including tax exemptions for investors who sell U.S. stocks and return to the local market, as part of efforts to ease upward pressure on the won-dollar exchange rate while revitalizing the domestic stock market. In step with the government’s move, Korea Investment & Securities is offering a raffle in which customers who open new online accounts by the end of this month will receive two shares selected from the KOSPI 200. Daishin Securities has launched a campaign targeting investors who have not traded stocks over the past six months, offering commission-free domestic stock trading, with only mandatory regulatory charges applied. “The event is intended to ease the cost burden for customers seeking to return to the market as domestic equities regain momen

Jan 15, 2026By Jun Ji-hye
Brokerages woo investors back to Korean stocks amid won's weakness
Companies

Coupang begins compensation payments; consumer groups react with rejection campaign

E-commerce giant Coupang on Thursday began to make compensation payments for 33.7 million customers affected by a massive personal data breach, amid apparently growing public criticism that the move may be a mere sales tactic that offers little or no actual benefits to consumers. On Dec. 29, about a month after confirming the data breach, Coupang announced a compensation plan worth more than 1.68 trillion won ($1.17 billion), under which affected customers — including paid Coupang Wow members, regular users and former customers who have closed their accounts — will receive discount vouchers totaling 50,000 won. The compensation package consists of 5,000 won in coupons for Coupang's e-commerce platform, 5,000 won for food delivery service Coupang Eats, 20,000 won for Coupang travel products and 20,000 won for R.LUX luxury beauty and fashion items. "Customers who have closed their Coupang accounts are required to re-register as members to receive the compensation," a company spokesperson said. The vouchers will be valid for three months, through April 15, the company said. In response,

Jan 15, 2026By Yonhap
Coupang begins compensation payments; consumer groups react with rejection campaign
Banking & Finance

Weakening won major factor in rate freeze: BOK head

The renewed weakness of the Korean currency against the U.S. dollar was a major factor in the central bank’s latest decision to freeze the key policy rate, the nation's top monetary policymaker said Thursday. Five of the six rate-setting members of the monetary policy board thought that the rate freeze is likely to remain in place, while the remaining member said the possibility of a cut should be left open, according to the bank’s three-month forward guidance. “Currency considerations were undeniably the main determinant in the monetary policy decision to leave the key rate at 2.5 percent,” Bank of Korea Gov. Rhee Chang-yong said during a press conference at the bank headquarters in Seoul. The won strengthened by about 40 won to trade at around 1,430 per dollar by the end of last year, but has since slid into the mid- to high-1,400 won range this year, a development he said warrants caution. About 75 percent of the won’s year-to-date weakness is attributable to U.S. dollar strength, yen weakness and geopolitical risks involving Venezuela, while the remaining 25 percent reflect

Jan 15, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Weakening won major factor in rate freeze: BOK head
Companies

Audi Korea aims to continue sales winning streak with A6, Q3: CEO

Audi Korea seeks to extend its strong sales momentum throughout 2026 by introducing two completely redesigned strategic models — the A6 flagship sedan and the Q3 compact SUV, its CEO said on Thursday. “The A6 will certainly be the focus in Korea, and so would the Q3,” Steve Cloete told reporters during a press conference. “The two models will form part of our strategy into the future and those cars will be launched very close to one another in the Korean market.” The carmaker achieved a remarkable rebound last year on solid sales of its flagship Q4 e-tron electric SUV. The local subsidiary of the German luxury carmaker sold a total of 11,001 vehicles in 2025, up 18.2 percent from the previous year. Audi Korea’s electric vehicle (EV) sales growth was particularly noteworthy. The carmaker sold 4,427 EVs last year, up 26.6 percent from a year earlier. All-electric cars accounted for more than 40 percent of the firm’s total sales during the same period. The A6 is Audi Korea's most symbolically important sedan. The fully-redesigned A6 is expected to play a key role in driving sal

Jan 15, 2026By Lee Min-hyung
Audi Korea aims to continue sales winning streak with A6, Q3: CEO
Companies

LS Cable to invest $156 mil. in production subsidiary in Mexico

LS Cable & System (LS C&S) said Thursday it will invest about 230 billion won ($156 million) in LS Cable & System Mexico (LSCMX), its production subsidiary in the central Mexican state of Queretaro, to produce electric infrastructure and mobility components for the North American market. With the investment, the Korean company aims to transform LSCMX into a strategic outpost for its energy and mobility businesses in the Americas, rather than just a manufacturing hub. To achieve that, LS C&S plans to expand capacity at its existing bus duct facility and build a new plant for automotive cables. “LSCMX will serve as a key base that enhances synergy across our energy and mobility operations,” an LS C&S official said. “By optimizing our North American production network, we will position ourselves as a key partner to global tech companies and carmakers.” LS C&S expects the expanded bus duct production capacity to help meet rising demand for power infrastructure from global technology firms. The new automotive cable plant will support North American automakers’ growing need for loca

Jan 15, 2026By Park Jae-hyuk
LS Cable to invest $156 mil. in production subsidiary in Mexico
Banking & Finance

STO market launch faces uncertainty as FSC delays licensing approvals over fairness concerns

The financial regulator’s decision to postpone preliminary approvals for over-the-counter trading platforms for security tokens, amid fierce resistance from a fintech startup, has cast uncertainty over the launch of the fast-emerging security token offering (STO) market, industry sources said Thursday. The legal groundwork for the market’s launch was put in place later in the day, as the National Assembly passed amendments to the Capital Markets Act and the Electronic Securities Act, which focus on institutionalizing tokenized securities, without any major disputes between the ruling and opposition parties. However, delays in granting preliminary approvals for security token trading platforms have made it increasingly likely that the start of operations will be pushed back. This has fueled concerns that the market, forecast to grow to 367 trillion won ($250 billion) by 2030 from 34 trillion won in 2024, could lose momentum before it even gets off the ground as disputes intensify over control of key market infrastructure. STOs integrate fractional investments, which involve shared ow

Jan 15, 2026By Jun Ji-hye
STO market launch faces uncertainty as FSC delays licensing approvals over fairness concerns
Tech & Science

LG CNS invests in CHA Biotech to fast-track AI-powered digital health care

LG CNS is accelerating its digital health care business in partnership with CHA Biomedical Group, making a 10 billion won ($6.8 million) equity investment in its affiliate CHA Biotech. The company said Thursday that it signed a strategic partnership agreement with CHA Biotech a day earlier to carry out the investment and collaborate on artificial intelligence (AI) transformation (AX) and digital transformation (DX) initiatives for the development of AI-powered digital health care services. CHA Biomedical Group is a comprehensive bio and health care company spanning hospitals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology research and medical services with several affiliates, including CHA Biotech, CHA Meditech, CMG Pharmaceutical and CHA Vaccine Institute. Through this investment, LG CNS and CHA Biomedical Group plan to establish a regular joint consultative body and carry out major AX and DX projects. “Through our partnership with CHA Biomedical Group, we aim to strengthen our competitiveness in digital health care platforms,” an LG CNS official said. “We will position ourselves as a leading tec

Jan 15, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee
LG CNS invests in CHA Biotech to fast-track AI-powered digital health care
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