A yearslong legal dispute between the South Korean government and US hedge fund Elliott Investment Management has entered another phase, as the government decided to file a suit to reverse an international tribunal's order to pay some $108 million in damages to the hedge fund. At the center of the protracted legal battle is the controversial 2015 merger of two Samsung Group affiliates -- Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries. Elliott, a minority stakeholder in Samsung C&T, sued the Kor

Economy July 24, 2023

The Bank of Korea is unlikely to cut interest rates this year because of uncertainty in the inflation outlook and massive household debt, central bank Gov. Rhee Chang-yong said Friday. "It is difficult to say that we will lower the interest rates for the time being, so don't expect too much that there will be a drop in the interest rates," he said during the 45th Jeju Forum hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Jeju Haevichi Hotel Resort. "We will look at

Economy July 14, 2023

SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island -- Gone are the days when it was sufficient for companies to have the upper hand in the global market by sharpening their competitive edge on their own. Governments and corporations teaming up together has become a global phenomenon to deal with uncertainties induced by supply chain disruptions and economic rivalry between the US and China, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won said Wednesday. Fragmented global markets unfolded new ways of survival, requiring governments to partne

Industry July 13, 2023

The total transaction volume of cross-border mergersand acquisitions involving Korean companies decreased by more than 40 percent in the first half of this year compared to the previous year, according to a major business lobby group, which called for the government support for deals with overseas tech companies. According to a report released by the Sustainable Growth Initiative, a think tank under the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday, the volume of transactions in domestic

Economy July 10, 2023

Korean business tycoons met with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss their cooperation in strategic industry projects including energy and next-generation transportation, a business lobby group Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry said Thursday. At the meeting held at the Elysee Palace in Paris with heads of Korea's top eight conglomerates on Wednesday, President Macron presented the economic and social reform policies that France is pursuing to strengthen the country’s inve

Industry June 22, 2023

An international court’s decision sentencing South Korea to pay a US hedge fund about $108.5 million in losses caused by the government’s meddling in the 2015 merger of two Samsung units may affect other pending rulings on investor-state dispute cases involving the country. Elliott Investment Management on Wednesday urged the Korean government to pay the amount to the investor as ordered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on Tuesday, asserting further legal proceedings would c

Market June 21, 2023

The Bank of Korea said it would remain vigilant following the US Federal Reserve’s decision to pause its interest rate hike cycle for the first time in 15 months, noting the possibility of a further increase later this year. The Federal Open Market Committee unanimously kept its key borrowing target range at 5 percent to 5.25 percent, after 10 consecutive rate increases since March last year. The rate freeze was aligned with expectations in the market but the Fed also signaled that addit

Economy June 15, 2023

Over 500 Korean companies and institutions gathered in Boston to take part in the BIO International Convention 2023 last week to discover new partnerships and to negotiate potential licensing deals. The number of participating Korean biotech and pharmaceutical firms and agencies doubled this year from a year ago, the largest after those from the United States, raising anticipation for the industry which experienced investment drought last year. “During this year’s event, multinatio

Industry June 14, 2023

South Korean companies faced higher borrowing costs and weaker earnings by about a third in 2022 from a year earlier, prompting the country’s major business lobby group to call for monetary easing policies. The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday released a report analyzing 2022 financial statements of 1,612 companies listed on the Korean bourse, including 159 conglomerates and 679 small and midsized firms. "Operating profits have been greatly reduced and corporate debt

Industry June 12, 2023

By Park Han-na Korea Herald correspondent BOSTON – Providing speedy drug-producing service with the world’s largest production capacity has been the main driving force of the rapid growth Samsung Biologics has enjoyed over the past 10 years. In the next 10 years, the company will focus on innovative technology in pursuit of becoming a global top-tier biopharmaceutical company, said Chung Nam-jin, executive vice president and head of the Bio R&D Center at Samsung Biologics. La

Industry June 8, 2023

BOSTON -- Yposkesi, the French contract development and manufacturing arm of Korean biopharmaceutical firm SK pharmteco, expects that its second plant will be at full capacity as the cell and gene therapy market is rapidly evolving, the firm’s executive said. The SK’s clinical and commercial viral vector manufacturing arm for cell and gene therapies is seeking to capitalize on the growing cell and gene therapy market with its new manufacturing plant, which is under construction nea

Industry June 8, 2023

BOSTON -- Samsung Biologics' US sales chief said Tuesday that the South Korean drug contract manufacturing giant will bolster its global reach to secure more large-volume orders, tapping Alzheimer’s drugs one of the key focus areas. On the sidelines of the 2030 BIO International Convention held in Boston this week, Kevin Sharp, sales head of Samsung Biologics America, met with reporters to introduce the company’s overall sales strategy for its upcoming fifth plant that will go

Industry June 7, 2023

BOSTON – Lotte Biologics’ drug substance manufacturing site in the US will put the utmost effort into making the Korean firm's goal of becoming a global top 10 contract development and manufacturing organization firm by 2030 attainable, the company’s US general manager said. Lotte Biologics, founded in 2022, acquired a fully operational facility in East Syracuse, New York from 165-year-old US pharmaceutical firm Bristol Myers Squibb last year as a part of its market entry

Industry June 7, 2023

BOSTON, Massachusetts -- South Korean biologics contract manufacturer Samsung Biologics will make another huge step forward by shortening the construction time for its new manufacturing facility with an annual production capacity of 180,000 liters by five months to meet the growing demand from its clients in the pharmaceutical industry, the firm’s CEO, John Rim, said Monday. The Korean firm has now secured as clients 13 of the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies, including GlaxoSmit

Industry June 6, 2023

Forging robust security and economic alliances with the United States and Japan is crucial for South Korea to embrace a reshaped global geopolitical paradigm, said Jun Kwang-woo, chairman of the Institute for Global Economics. “The trilateral allies must bolster their economic cooperation and pursue shared strategic priorities,” to deal with “the looming global geo-economic challenges, accompanied by supply chain disruptions and an energy crisis, result from the post-pandemic

Economy May 25, 2023