Chemical firm also aims to boost presence in Asian construction marketLUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany ― Chemical plants have been associated with toxic materials harming the air, water and ecosystem, a major hurdle to the industry’s sustainable growth. BASF, a leading global chemical firm, shows how technology, strategy and devotion to the community can tackle these challenges. The company based in Ludwigsh

SK Energy & Service, a local provider of city gas and electricity, said Thursday it began the construction of a steam power generation plant in Gimcheon, South Gyeongsang Province, together with Kolon Engineering & Construction. The SK E&S and Kolon will jointly invest 250 billion won ($220 million) for the plant which has a capacity to produce 1.5 million tons of steam a year, the firm said.  SK

A consortium led by state-run Korea Resources Corp. has dropped a bid for an Australian coal producer to focus more on other businesses, KORES said Thursday.“Coal is no longer a priority when it comes to our business. We have been concentrating more on developing other minerals such as rare earth metals and lithium lately,” a KORES official told The Korea Herald. The consortium also includes local

State-run Korea Trade-Investment Agency said Thursday that it will offer visiting consulting services for foreign firms in the country, aiming to boost their investments. “The consulting service is expected to raise the amount of foreign direct investments in the country, as we will visit foreign firms here and try to solve their difficulties from now on,” the trade agency said. The Investment Con

South Korea plans to bolster the country’s financing capabilities, aiming to back its firms with more plant-building projects overseas, the government said Wednesday. The government said it is planning to launch a task force led by the Ministry of Strategy & Finance, in collaboration with the Ministry of Knowledge Economy and financial institutions such as Financial Services Commission, Ex-Im Bank

GS Group chairman Huh Chang-soo stressed the significance of original technology and mutual growth with suppliers on Tuesday during his visit to a GS Caltex lubricants plant in Incheon, Gyeonggi Province.“GS has been showing a strong performance overseas with its solid base in the domestic market. I believe we can become a leading global firm if we secure original technologies with which we can co

The Anyday feminine hygiene product brand from Yuhan-Kimberly has received eco-friendly certification for five consecutive years. The Well-being Certification, granted by Korea Management Association Registrations & Assessments Inc., recognizes a domestic product’s functionality, safety and its environmental compatibility.As well as existing Anyday products, new Anyday Organic Cotton, made wholly

South Korea is to increase its rare earth reserves to around 1,500 tons by 2014 amid fierce global competition to ensure a stable supply.The new target for a group of 17 scarce metals key to mobile devices, electric vehicles and other high-tech products, would meet the local industrial demand for 100 days, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said Monday.The government initially set the goal at 1,200

Two Korean-led consortia satisfy bid qualifications for $20b railroad planTwo consortia including Korean enterprises passed the pre-qualification criteria for a $20 billion railway project in the United Arab Emirates, raising hopes for the country’s first-ever railway construction export, state-run Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency said Friday.The list of firms involved in the bid includes b

The government will set up a 9 billion won ($7.8 million) fund this year to assist local firms’ clean energy projects overseas. The government’s latest move is part of the country’s efforts to make $40 billion from exports related to renewable energy such as photovoltaic and wind power by 2015.“The global renewable energy market is projected to be highly prospective, and thus will likely push up t

State-run mineral developer looks to Africa, South America to ensure stable supply of resourcesKorea Resources Corp. is at the forefront of Korea’s drive to secure stable supplies of natural resources including rare earths crucial to its high-tech economy.Global competition is growing to secure sources of 17 scarce metals used to make cutting-edge products such as mobile phones, electric cars, win

The intensifying turmoil in Libya and the Middle East is feared to serve a major blow to the Korean economy and its firms doing business in the region. Korean builders seem to be hit hardest by the political crisis as most of their projects there have been put on hold and workers have fled Libya during the past week. Local firms’ unpaid fees from their Libyan partners have reached about $19 millio

Measures in force to reduce energy useSouth Korea raised its energy alert level on Sunday and will launch a set of emergency conservation measures on Monday to counter surging crude oil prices, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said. The government upgraded the country’s energy alert level from “blue” to “yellow,” the third-highest in the country’s four-tiered system. The country issued the “blue”

After garnering record-high overseas orders last year, Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. is pushing harder to expand its presence in the world though diversification of its projects and markets. The country’s largest builder aims to become a global top 20 builder by 2015 under its long-term growth plan Vision 2015 launched last year. By the target year, the company expects to achieve 23 trill

BASF chief executive Jurgen Hambrecht speaks during the firm’s yearly press conference in Ludwigshafen, Germany on Thursday.(BASF)LUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany ― Leading global chemical firm BASF plans to expand its presence in Asia by investing 2.3 billion euros ($3.1 billion) over the next five years, company officials said Thursday.The Germany-based firm’s aggressive investment plan comes as the Asia-P

Policymakers are set to start offering a support package for 30 promising medium-sized local enterprises from May, aiming to foster them as globally successful firms, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said on Sunday.The plan, which involves the cultivation of administrative, research and marketing skills, is part of action plans for the roadmap unveiled by the government last March, dubbed “World

The government and private sector will organize a 60 billion won ($53 million) fund this year to be used for reshaping the country’s lagging industrial complexes, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said Sunday.The investment is part of the Quality of Working Life Valley project launched by the government in October, which is aimed at reinvigorating old industrial sites to attract more young workers

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) – Security forces opened fire Friday on Bahraini protesters for a second straight day, wounding at least 50 people as thousands defied the government and marched toward Pearl Square in an uprising that sought to break the political grip of the Gulf nation's leaders.Once again, Bahrain authorities showed no hesitation in using force against demonstrators who ramped up demands t

Group of 20 policy makers, at odds over smoothing over global economic imbalances, confront a new threat as higher inflation ripples from emerging markets to advanced economies. A report of greater-than-expected U.S. inflation yesterday followed a jump in the European cost-of-living index to a two- year high and a pickup in Chinese prices, further fraying a tentative global consensus over how to s

PARIS -- South Korea's top economic policymaker on Friday urged financial and economic leaders of the world's major countries to continue efforts to stabilize the global financial system if they intend to strengthen the economy and tackle the issue of global imbalance."The financial system needs to maintain stability to strengthen the real economy and reduce global imbalance," Finance Minister Yoo