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    Fried chicken chain bhc expands US footprint with first Virginia restaurant

    Korean fried chicken giant bhc is planting its flag in one of the Washington metropolitan area’s busiest commercial hubs, anchoring its latest push into the United States with its first Virginia location. The chain, operated by Dining Brands Group, said Monday it opened its Arlington location in the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington County, marking its debut in Virginia as the company continues to broaden its North American presence. The restaurant is located near offices, residential complexes, shopping centers and recreational facilities, with convenient access to the Ballston-MU Metro station. The company said the area, which borders Washington across the Potomac River, attracts a steady mix of office workers, residents and visitors, making it a strategic location for growth. The approximately 169-square-meter restaurant offers full-service dining with 32 seats across 15 tables. Its menu has been tailored to local dining preferences, featuring wing- and tender-based combo meals, chicken sandwiches, Crispy Bun sandwiches, cheese balls and fries. Reflecting the popularity of dipping sa

    2 MIN READBy Lee Kyung-min
    Fried chicken chain bhc expands US footprint with first Virginia restaurant
  • Banking & Finance

    Winners of the 22nd Economic Essay Contest

    2 MIN READBy Lee Yeon-woo
    Winners of the 22nd Economic Essay Contest
  • Tech & Science

    Science ministry vows $650 bil. investment in AI data centers

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Science ministry vows $650 bil. investment in AI data centers
  • Others

    Korea launches K-Chicken Belt to boost gastronomy tourism

    3 MIN READBy Ko Dong-hwan
    Korea launches K-Chicken Belt to boost gastronomy tourism
  • Companies

    Samsung, partner firms sign agreement for mutual growth

    2 MIN READBy Nam Hyun-woo
    Samsung, partner firms sign agreement for mutual growth
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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

Kkanbu Chicken adopts 1-hour rule for table used by Nvidia CEO

A Kkanbu Chicken restaurant has introduced a one-hour time limit for the table used by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang during his casual dinner with Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun last week. “The table occupied by Jensen Huang can be used for only an hour,” said a notice posted in front of the store near Samseong Station in southern Seoul. Since Huang's visit on Thursday, crowds have lined up in front of the store even before opening hours, hoping to enjoy fried chicken at the same table once used by Huang and the Korean business leaders. The restaurant, however, does not accept reservations for the table. Their 70-minute gathering generated massive public buzz, as it is rare to see global business leaders make an appearance at such a casual dining restaurant in such a busy part of Seoul. Huang also left his signature for the restaurant that reads, “Jensen Huang Nvidia was here.” Last week, the Nvidia chief visited Korea for the first time in 15 years to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit

Nov 4, 2025By Lee Min-hyung
Kkanbu Chicken adopts 1-hour rule for table used by Nvidia CEO
Companies

LG Chem partners with China's largest energy firm for battery tech

LG Chem, a leading chemical and battery manufacturer, has entered into a partnership with China-based Sinopec to codevelop materials for batteries, underscoring its commitment to the industry as global demand surges from electric vehicles (EVs) and artificial intelligence technologies. The LG Group subsidiary said on Tuesday that it signed the agreement with China’s largest energy and chemical company last Thursday at LG Twin Tower in Seoul. According to LG, Sinopec is engaged in petroleum and gas exploration and development, refining, chemicals and new materials businesses. LG Chem Vice Chairman and CEO Shin Hak-cheol and Sinopec Chairman Hou Qijun attended the signing ceremony. Under the deal, the two companies will jointly research anode and cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), establish a stable supply chain and introduce the materials to the market at a competitive price. The partnership was established in recognition of SIBs key advantages over the lithium-ion batteries that currently dominate the global market. According to LG Chem, SIBs offer greater resource ava

Nov 4, 2025By Ko Dong-hwan
LG Chem partners with China's largest energy firm for battery tech
Banking & Finance

NH, Agri banks sign partnership for mutual growth in agriculture business

NH NongHyup Bank CEO Kang Tae-young visited the headquarters of Agribank in Hanoi on Friday for a meeting with the Vietnamese bank’s CEO Pham Toan Vuong to foster cooperation in finance and mutual growth business opportunities, the Korean commercial lender said Tuesday. The meeting during Kang’s business trip to Vietnam was part of efforts to strengthen the banks’ partnership with the Southeast Asian country. The Agribank CEO reiterated the bank's commitment to bilateral cooperation, saying the two have built a strong partnership since 2013 through various projects. “NongHyup and Agribank have been exchanging personnel, not to mention remittance services for the two banks’ customers without bank accounts. I hope we would further expand cooperation to adopt NongHyup’s expertise in digital and agricultural finance into Vietnam’s financial market.” Kang said in response that the resumption of bank staff exchanges after the COVID-19 pandemic period will help further expand cooperation in areas such as digital and internet banking. “We plan to establish a task force soon to s

Nov 4, 2025By Lee Kyung-min
NH, Agri banks sign partnership for mutual growth in agriculture business
Banking & Finance

Blue Ocean says it is 'fully prepared' as Korea resumes daytime US stock trading

Blue Ocean Technologies said Tuesday it is "fully prepared" for the resumption of U.S. stock trading during Korea's daytime hours, as Korean brokerages restarted the service following a 15-month suspension. The U.S.-based alternative trading system (ATS) also said it is welcoming back Korean investors — one of its largest customer groups. "Blue Ocean Technologies is excited to welcome the return of Korean investors trading on our sophisticated platform," said CEO Brian Hyndman in a statement to The Korea Times. "The Blue Ocean ATS platform is fully prepared for this development and continues to expand its global presence." Starting Tuesday, 18 major Korean securities firms resumed daytime trading of overseas stocks. The service, backed by ATS platforms like Blue Ocean, allows Korean investors to trade U.S. equities during local market hours, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The regular U.S. trading session runs from 11:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. (Korea Standard Time). The service had been halted in August 2024 amid fears of a potential U.S. recession. Blue Ocean, which exclusively handled Korea's daytime U.

Nov 4, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
Blue Ocean says it is 'fully prepared' as Korea resumes daytime US stock trading
Companies

Foreign carmakers turn to direct online sales, bypassing dealerships

A growing number of imported carmakers are shifting to direct online sales, a strategy that helps build customer trust in pricing and reduces operational costs, industry officials said Tuesday. Tesla has set a successful example under its new sales paradigm by selling exclusively online, avoiding the costs of dealership affiliations. This stands in sharp contrast to the traditional dealership-reliant strategies used by most other foreign automakers, including Mercedes-Benz Korea and BMW Korea. Tesla, which has no dealership network in Korea, operates only a few showrooms for offline promotional purposes. Nevertheless, its Model Y electric SUV ranked as the nation’s best-selling electric vehicle (EV) during the first nine months of this year, outselling rival models from Hyundai Motor and Kia by a wide margin. One of the key advantages of direct online sales is that carmakers can improve price transparency. Under the current dealership model, customers often pay different prices for the same vehicle, depending on each dealer’s promotions. This does little to enhance their brand value

Nov 4, 2025By Lee Min-hyung
Foreign carmakers turn to direct online sales, bypassing dealerships
Companies

Daesung Group holds forum to highlight bio innovation in AI era

Daesung Group, an energy and environment conglomerate, held the 2025 Daesung Haegang Science Forum in Seoul on Tuesday, highlighting the latest biotechnology innovations in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). Marking its eighth edition this year, the annual forum explored the theme “Bio-Innovation in the AI Era,” bringing together experts and industry leaders to share their insights on the convergence of AI and biotechnology and their future development trajectory. At the forum, Lee Sang-yup, vice president for research at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, delivered a keynote speech under the title “AI for Biological Engineering.” He presented practical strategies and case studies on how AI is being utilized in biological engineering research and development. University of Toronto professor Philip Kim followed with a presentation on protein engineering with AI, while Kakao Healthcare CEO Hwang Hee discussed how AI and big data are driving innovation in digital health care. “The convergence of AI and biotechnology is expected to bring innovative and di

Nov 4, 2025By Nam Hyun-woo
Daesung Group holds forum to highlight bio innovation in AI era
Companies

Paris Baguette global head promoted to SPC vice chairman

Major food group SPC on Tuesday announced a leadership reshuffle across its headquarters and subsidiaries, promoting its President Hur Jin-soo to vice chairman. The conglomerate, run by the owner family headed by Chairman Hur Young-in, also promoted Vice President Hur Hee-soo to president. Paris Croissant — a subsidiary operating the global bakery franchise brand Paris Baguette — and other bakery manufacturing affiliates have also appointed new CEOs. Hur Jin‑soo, the eldest of the chairman’s two sons, is expected to further cement his pivotal role in SPC. He will serve as chief strategy officer of Paris Croissant and head of the company’s Global Business Unit. Paris Baguette is the group’s flagship business, having expanded its global presence to 15 countries with 670 stores — including 340 in China and 240 in the United States. He also currently leads the group’s Transformation Office, an internal watchdog committee launched in July. The committee oversees workplace safety and ensures compliance with labor regulations. “The new vice chairman will continue to strengthen

Nov 4, 2025By Ko Dong-hwan
Paris Baguette global head promoted to SPC vice chairman
Business

Brokerages resume services for daytime trading of US stocks

Korean brokerage houses on Tuesday reopened services for daytime trading of U.S. stocks, more than a year after they suspended the service due to system glitches, industry sources said. Investors using trading systems of 18 brokerage firms here will be able to trade U.S. stocks from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the sources. Daytime trading of U.S. stocks in Korea had been halted since Aug. 5, 2024, following a technical glitch that caused the mass cancellation of orders from local investors by Blue Ocean, the only alternative trading platform at that time that had a business tie with local brokerage firms. For the resumption of daytime trading, local brokerages have partnered with two other alternative trading platforms — Bruce and Moon. Also, local brokerage houses have hired at least two brokers to respond to unexpected events. Investments in U.S. stocks alone totaled $155.5 billion, or about 94 percent of local investors' total overseas equity holdings, according to the data from the Korea Securities Depository.

Nov 4, 2025By Yonhap
Brokerages resume services for daytime trading of US stocks
Business

Gov't unveils steps to support restructuring of steel industry to overcome supply glut

The government will provide additional support to the steel industry for its much-needed transition to high-value and eco-friendly products, the industry ministry said Tuesday, the latest effort to save the ailing sector facing global oversupply and escalating trade protectionism. The road map aimed at boosting the competitiveness of the steel industry was unveiled at an economy-related ministers' meeting. Under the plan, the government will support the steelmakers' preemptive measures to adjust the production capacity of items facing oversupply, such as structural steel and steel pipes, under the condition the companies make efforts for "responsible" management, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. In addition, the government will bolster its response to major economies' protectionist measures targeting the industry, such as the United States' 50 percent tariffs on all steel imports and the European Union's proposal for new steel safeguard measures. While continuing negotiations over the protectionist measures, Korea will thoroughly execute the support package for

Nov 4, 2025By Yonhap
Gov't unveils steps to support restructuring of steel industry to overcome supply glut
Tech & Science

Why Korean STEM talent continues to move abroad

The importance of STEM talent continues to grow, as it drives a country's sustainable economic growth by fostering innovation and increasing productivity. However, according to research from the Bank of Korea (BOK) released Monday, many top talents in Korea tend to move abroad in search of better research environments and career opportunities — unless they have already chosen to attend medical school after high school. While Korea's science, technology, engineering and mathematics workforces have steadily expanded in size over the past several decades, the central bank noted that structural constraints within the country have hindered them from fully realizing their potential. As of 2022, Korea's research and development workforce reached approximately 170 researchers per 10,000 people — one of the highest ratios among major countries. "Satisfaction with job conditions and treatment among STEM professionals in Korea remains relatively low. Moreover, the ecosystem and investment base for technology startups — where such talent could expect higher economic rewards — are still under

Nov 4, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
Why Korean STEM talent continues to move abroad
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