US government eyes stake in Samsung, TSMC in return for CHIPS Act funds

The US government is looking into acquiring equity stakes in chipmakers such as Samsung Electronics Co., Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM...

Bill Gates to court Korea’s business titans in Seoul for philanthropy push

Bill Gates, billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder, is heading to Seoul this week to deepen partnerships with South Korea’s corpo...

‘Act fast, or miss out’: Korean retail investors look to Wall Street debut stocks for hefty gains

When cryptocurrency exchange operator Bullish rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Aug. 13, a 30-something South Korean investor l...

Global investors flock to K-beauty startups as sector mints new unicorn BENOW

South Korea’s beauty startup scene is attracting a wave of overseas venture capital, underscoring renewed investor appetite for the country&rs...

Celltrion gains ground as one of most-prescribed drug suppliers in Italy

Celltrion Inc., South Korea’s leading biosimilar maker, has been securing a string of orders from regional governments in Italy for autoimmune...

YNCC avoids default with $220 mn lifeline from DL Chemical, Hanwha

Yeochun NCC Co. (YNCC), South Korea’s third-largest ethylene maker, has narrowly avoided default as its shareholders – DL Chemical Co. a...

K-beauty, K-food exports to US jolted as 15% tariffs go into effect

South Korea’s cosmetics and food exporters have been jolted by a significant drop in shipments to the US after Washington’s 15% tariffs ...

Hahn & Co. taps TKG Taekwang as preferred bidder for Solmics

Hahn & Co., South Korea’s leading private equity firm, has named TKG Taekwang Co., a domestic footwear manufacturer, as the preferred buye...

K-pop boys, K-beauty’s choice to accelerate global expansion

South Korean cosmetics brands are increasingly choosing K-pop boy bands over female artists to attract women, the primary consumers of beauty produc...

BTS label BigHit to debut new boy band CORTIS on Aug. 18

BigHit Music, the powerhouse behind global K-pop acts BTS and Tomorrow X Together (TXT), has unveiled the name of its new boy group, CORTIS. The fiv...

Coupang ramps up Taiwan push amid K-beauty boom, US tariffs

Coupang Inc., South Korea’s largest e-commerce platform, said on Wednesday it will expand investment to strengthen overnight delivery services...

Seoul downtown office glut fears overblown: Savills Korea CEO

The prime office market in core business districts in Seoul is expected to remain strong, said Savills Korea chief, citing limited new supply and th...

K-beauty diversifies markets for global growth amid US tariffs

South Korean beauty brands are diversifying overseas markets to accelerate global expansion, as 15% US tariffs and intensifying competition may hind...

Korea's pharmacies emerge as K-beauty destinations for tourists

On the afternoon of July 31, a sign at the entrance of Ready Young Pharmacy in Seoul's Donggyo-dong neighborhood welcomed visitors in Chinese, Japan...

AMCHAM, ECCK warn S.Korea’s labor bill hinders investment

Major foreign business associations in South Korea have warned that a proposed labor law revision in the country could increase legal exposure for m...

BTS live album debuts at No. 10 on Billboard 200, setting new K-pop record

BTS’s first live act album Permission to Dance on Stage – Live debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart dated Aug. 2, accordi...

K-beauty boom propels APR ahead of LG H&H, closing gap with AmorePacific

APR Co., South Korea's fast-growing beauty company, has outpaced the country's second-largest cosmetics firm LG H&H Co. in terms of market capit...

IMM joins $600 mn fund for K-beauty unicorn Goodai Global in M&A drive

IMM Private Equity and five other South Korean private equity firms are set to invest a total of 800 billion won ($600 million) in Goodai Global Inc...

S.Korea’s ruling party gears up for won-based stablecoin legislation

South Korea’s push to launch won-based stablecoins is taking shape as the ruling Democratic Party unveiled proposed legislation to promote cry...

K-beauty brands shine among Amazon’s 2025 Prime Day bestsellers

Cosmetics and beauty devices made by South Korean companies dominated Amazon’s biggest summer shopping event this year, Prime Day, underscorin...

Glass Skin boom: Why Seoul’s interactive beauty clinics are hottest stop for foreign tourists

On a recent morning in Seoul’s hip Seongsu neighborhood, a line of eager foreign tourists snaked around the corner of CJ Olive Young Corp.&rsq...

President Lee meets Hyundai, LG chiefs, promotes ‘one team’ approach

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung held back-to-back meetings with the chairmen of Hyundai Motor Group and LG Group this week to discuss global tr...

Yes, it’s K-beauty: Strong buying appetite for makeup brands even before they're up for sale

In South Korea’s M&A landscape, beauty companies are no longer waiting to put themselves on the market. They’re being courted before...

Test case looms for Korea’s revised Commercial Act as VIP Asset challenges Lotte Rental’s rights issue to Affinity

Lotte Rental Co., South Korea’s No. 1 car rental and leasing company, is facing a backlash from a key minority shareholder over its planned ri...

K-beauty contract manufacturers see record Q2 profits; rally likely to continue

South Korea’s major original design manufacturers (ODMs) for cosmetics, led by Cosmax Inc. and Kolmar Korea Co., are estimated to have posted ...

K-beauty craze sends Olive Young online sales to new heights

CJ Olive Young Corp., South Korea’s top beauty store chain, is another beneficiary of the global K-beauty surge, with its online cosmetics sal...

Blackpink's new single Jump tops Spotify daily chart

Blackpink's new single Jump has rocketed to No. 1 on the Spotify Daily Top Songs Global chart, YG Entertainment Inc., the company behind the girl gr...

South Korea moves to mandate treasury share cancellation

South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party is accelerating its push to boost shareholder value by requiring listed companies to cancel treasury sha...

Rap icon Cardi B joins K-beauty’s celebrity fan club with BB cream

Cardi B, the Grammy-winning rapper, has joined the growing list of celebrities spotlighting Korean beauty products, fueling a new wave of global ent...

Hong Kong-based CLSA to invest $36.6 mn in K-Beauty pioneer Jungsaemmool Beauty

Hong Kong-based private equity firm CLSA Capital Partners Ltd. has been picked as a preferred bidder to invest 50 billion won ($36.6 million) in Jun...