Local conglomerates are boosting their efforts to support subcontractors in line with the government-led “mutual growth” drive. The Lee Myung-bak administration has been keenly advocating shared prosperity between conglomerates and their smaller partners, urging the bigger firms to take the lead to help create a level playing field.With the launch of Commission of Shared Growth for Large and Small

Rising costs, demand call for nation to be self-reliant by reusing wasteSouth Korea is preparing to step up efforts to recycle minerals from used electronics and industrial waste in a bid to secure self-reliant sources of minerals on growing demand, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said Friday.The process, termed “urban mining,” refers to reclaiming compounds and elements from products and waste

Sales of luxury fashion goods at leading department stores jumped 27 percent on-year in March on retailers’ aggressive expansion and boosted marketing, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said Thursday. Foods sales at major discount outlets and department stores also rose due to their increased demand and inflation, the ministry said. The proportion of luxury products sales at top department store c

Online retailer Tryst boasts price competitiveness but has yet to overcome credibility issuesA fresh online luxury retail channel is eying a slice of the pie in the conglomerate-dominated local market with price competitiveness and quality service.The launch of flash sale site Tryst on Wednesday, the first of its kind here, may be intriguing news for savvy Korean shoppers. The website can be descr

The introduction of new online retail channels is expected to expand the size of the local luxury retail industry appealing to an increasing number of younger shoppers with affordable price and convenience, industry watchers said. Yet they face fierce competition from the market-dominant retail giants and are to overcome credibility concerns typically associated with e-commerce in the country. Wit

Korea Post named Kim Myong-ryong, 54, the organization’s former director of strategy and management, its new president, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said Monday.  Kim Myong-ryongKim is an experienced public administrator whose career background covers multiple positions at the knowledge economy ministry ― formerly Ministry of Information and Communication ― and Korea Post.Born in Seoul, Kim e

Foreign funds reap better returns than locals on real estate investmentsForeign funds have outperformed domestic institutions in terms of capital gains on real estate investments in Korea over the past decade, market researcher JUSTR said Monday. Foreign investment groups such as Lone Star Funds, Goldman Sachs and Government of Singapore Investment Corp. have recorded an average capital gain of 48

The South Korean consortium bidding for Brazil’s $20-billion high-speed rail service downplayed the impact of its recent loss of construction partners.The group said it is in talks with big-name constructors in Korea such as Hyundai Engineering and Construction and POSCO Engineering and Construction to form a new lineup before submitting its proposal. It is also contacting some large Brazilian con

Steelmakers, oil refiners benefit from damaged production in JapanThe March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan is seen as having a limited, short-term impact on the Korean economy despite having disrupted parts supplies for automobile and electronics makers, experts said Sunday. In fact, some sectors including steel and oil refining are benefiting from the damaged production in the neighboring cou

Nestle S.A., the world’s largest food company, is seeking to boost its beverage and coffee machinery purchase from innovative Korean manufacturers, one of the firm’s high-ranking officials said Thursday. The firm saw the biggest potential of local companies in its leading technologies and dynamics, said Ruguo Hu, head of equipment & system of Nestle R&D Centre Shanghai. The Shanghai R&D center is

State-run oil firm also seeks to diversify business to crude alternatives State-run Korea National Oil Corp. is stepping up overseas development projects and expanding its portfolio into alternative resources in bid to boost the country’s energy security. Korea, the world’s fifth-largest importer of crude oil, has been vulnerable to global oil price volatility and uncertainties in the market, espe

Spain, is to introduce its latest ambitious marine science project at the 2012 Expo in Yeosu, the country’s representatives said Wednesday.The European country will comprise the main exhibition in Yeosu with the results of its national research project named Malaspina Expedition 2010, Commissioner of Spain Cecilia Pereira said. The nine-month expedition, which is to be completed in July, assesses

BIE chief says 2012 expo addresses timely issues, full of ideasThe 2012 Expo in Yeosu will bring oceans and climate change to the center of international attention, Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales, secretary general of Bureau International des Expositions said Wednesday.Loscertales had high hopes for the upcoming expo in Korea’s southwestern coastal city, he said, despite its smaller size than the mo

Leading German pharmaceutical and chemical firm Merck KGaA said Thursday that it will donate $1.2 million to help relief works in Japan.Most of the amount will be entrusted to Save the Children, while the rest will go to Merck’s Japanese subsidiary which will decide on the use of the money. “We sincerely hope that the situation in Fukushima will be controlled soon … Merck will support Japan in tha

SaKong Il, chairman of Korea International Trade Association and G20 Summit Korea Coordination Committee, will attend the Trilateral Commission annual meeting April 8-10 in Washington, KITA said Tuesday.SaKong will address the “G20 and global governance” at the meeting which will also be attended by officials including former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin and Lawrence Summers, former U.S. Tr

Hanwha Group said Tuesday it has launched new company to spearhead its expanding solar power business at home and abroad.The new venture, named Hanwha Solar Energy, will be at the center of the group’s vertically integrated solar energy business, from equipment to facilities to power generation. It will also push for cooperation with partners in North America and Europe, the company said. The firm

S-Oil Corp., Korea’s third-largest oil refiner, said Tuesday that it will cut the supply prices of its gasoline and diesel by 100 won ($0.9) per liter starting Thursday, following market leader SK Innovation’s suit.The firm’s directly managed stations nationwide will thus reduce its retail fuel prices by the amount, it said. The price reduction will last for three months.“We made the decision in o

South Korea will forge a mobile radio-frequency identification network in metropolitan regions by the end of the year to promote mobile commerce, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said Tuesday.The technology allows users to pay for items by flashing RFID-imbedded mobile phones in front of wireless readers.The RFID system has already been used in the country for transportation cards and wireless ex

GS Caltex, S-Oil and Hyundai Oilbank may follow largest refinery’s decision to lower gasoline and diesel costsLeading oil refiner SK Innovation’s decision to lower retail fuel prices has prompted its smaller rivals to consider following suit. SK Innovation announced Sunday that it will reduce the prices of gasoline and diesel sold at its stations nationwide stations by 100 won ($0.09) per liter fo

South Korea will invest a record amount of 53.8 billion won ($48 million) in Jeju Island this year to boost regional businesses in industries such as water and energy management, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said Friday. The government will be spending about half of the funds on developing renewable energy facilities such as offshore wind turbines, while another 23 billion won will be used to