After a cluster of COVID-19 infections was reported at a department store in Seoul, large retail outlets are fearing it will cause a ripple effect and scare shoppers away. As of Sunday, nearly a week after the first infection was identified at Hyundai Department Store’s branch at Coex, Gangnam, at least 118 cases have been found to be linked to the store. The first patients were two staffers who tested positive on July 4. They worked on the basement floor, where the supermarket and fo

Genesis, the luxury brand of South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor, has debuted its first pure-electric car, aiming to take on the emerging electric vehicle mart with high-end models. With the Electrified G80, unveiled in South Korean on Wednesday, Hyundai Motor has aimed to prove that it can offer the gentle yet powerful ride of a premium sedan with electricity. On its launch day, The Korea Herald took the much-anticipated car for a test drive of about 60 kilometers, from Starfie

Hyundai Motor will work with other firms to utilize its car-making expertise and technology for the development of a hydrogen fuel cell system for ships, the Korean automaker said Thursday. Hyundai Motor has signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyundai Global Service and the Korean Register of Shipping, a non-profit ship classification body, to jointly develop an FC system package for ships using the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell that is used in cars. The partnership also aims

Foreign car brands will introduce at least 54 electric vehicle models here by 2023, South Korea’s imported car association said Tuesday. New executives and board members of the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association noted a clear shift of the industry paradigm toward electrification at their first press conference since their inauguration last year, saying foreign players will be adding momentum to that by presenting more electricity-powered vehicles. “For me

As South Korean automakers move to embrace the trend shift for eco-friendly vehicles, they face difficulties in narrowing differences with labor unions seeking wage increase and job protection. The labor union of Hyundai Motor, the country’s leading automaker, said it is set to vote to strike Wednesday, after failing to reduce the gap in this year’s collective bargaining negotiations. In the 13th round of negotiations held this year, Hyundai Motor management suggested a proposal

Kia’s premium flagship sedan K9 has returned with a major technological change, showing off how driving assistance can really make a difference behind the wheel. Often called the “car for CEOs,” the most luxurious model from Kia showed a solid performance, selling 10,878 units in 2019. But its sales dwindled to 7,831 units in 2020 as competition for the title intensified with vehicles from Genesis, the premium automotive brand of Hyundai Motor Group, namely the G80 and G90.

SK Energy and Korea Electric Power Corp. agreed to jointly develop automotive services to promote the use of electric vehicles in the country, SK said Friday. SK Energy, South Korea’s leading oil refinery and gas station operator, said it is partnering with the state-run electricity provider Kepco, which operates the country’s largest EV charging infrastructure business, to expand its EV service business. SK Energy P&M CIC Chief Executive Officer Oh Jong-hoon and Kepco Vice

Hyundai Motor and Kia witnessed all-time high sales in the United States in the first half of this year, the companies said Friday. The two automotive brands of the largest Korean automobile group sold a combined 804,944 vehicles in the US in the first half of this year, a 48.1 percent increase from a year earlier, according to Hyundai and Kia’s US branches. Hyundai Motor America said its sales grew 49.4 percent on-year, selling 407,135 units, while Kia America sold 378,511 units, up 4

Shin Dong-won, the eldest son of the late founder and chairman of Nongshim Group Shin Choon-ho, has been inaugurated as the new chairman of Nongshim Group, the South Korean food company said Thursday. The promotion of Shin, who was formerly Nongshim’s vice chairman, was decided at a temporary board of directors meeting, the company said, to allow him to succeed to the post of his late father who died of chronic illness in March at the age of 92. Under the second-generation leader, Non

The new GS Retail is kicking off in July as GS Group’s retail business unit, the company said Wednesday. The new entity was created by the marriage of two GS retail arms -- the old GS Retail and GS Home Shopping. The purpose of the merger, decided at the end of 2020, is to integrate the group’s presence in online and offline commerce platforms and boost its competitiveness in the overall retail sector. The new GS Retail, which officially launches Thursday, will be in charge of op

South Korean manufacturers’ business sentiment reached a seven-year high for the third quarter this year, as the global economy shows signs of recovery amid vaccine rollouts against the coronavirus pandemic, a poll revealed Wednesday. According to the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Business Sentiment Index, which it compiles quarterly, stood at 103 for the July-September period, up four points from the previous quarter. It was the first time in seven years that it surpassed

Posco Engineering & Construction will start pre-sales of its premium The Sharp brand apartments in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, in July, the company said Monday. The construction firm said it will begin receiving orders for 727 units of The Sharp Gwangyang Bay Cent, an apartment complex comprising of five apartment buildings in Hwanggeum-dong in Gwangyang. The buildings are as high as 33 stories, according to the company. The available apartments range in size from 84 square meters

A controlling stake in SsangYong Motor has officially been put up for auction as the financially ailing company undergoes court receivership, the sale’s lead manager said Monday. EY Hanyoung, the accounting firm in charge of the sale, released a notice of sale announcing that it was receiving letters of intent from potential buyers until July 30. Under the sales plan, it will then run preliminary reviews of the bids from Aug. 2-27. A preferred bidder is expected to be chosen in Septem

South Korean steelmaker Posco is working with Chinese steel producer HBIS Group Co. to produce and sell automotive galvanized steel sheets, the company said Friday. Through an online signing ceremony, the two companies inked an agreement to establish an equally invested joint company, Posco said. Posco Chief Executive Officer Choi Jeong-woo and Kim Hag-dong, the head of steel business unit, attended the event. “From our collaboration with HBIS Group we plan to reinforce our position a

Shinsegae Department Store will build a new department store in the envisioned Suseo Station Transit Center Complex, the company said Friday. According to the retail giant, a consortium led by Hanwha Engineering and Construction and participated in by Shinsegae has been chosen as the preferred candidate for the Suseo Station Transit Center Complex Development Project, which is worth about 1.2 trillion won. The Suseo Station Transit Center Complex Development Project aims to develop a 115,927

An amendment to a law that effectively suspended the operations of Tada, a homegrown ride-hailing service, was ruled constitutional by the Constitutional Court on Thursday, putting an end to a yearlong dispute in the transportation industry. In its judgment, the court said Tada’s service based on rented vans had “greatly increased social conflicts because it practically offered a taxi service without being subject to regulations affecting the taxi industry.” The law was ame

Mercedes-Benz Korea has brought its most luxurious sedan, the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, to the Korean market, as the automaker marks the 100-year anniversary of the launch of its first Maybach vehicle, the company said Wednesday. The newly-launched Mercedes-Maybach S 580 4Matic has undergone a complete makeover from the model that was first launched in 2015, and will strengthen its leadership in the luxury flagship sedan segment, the automaker said. Since its introduction, more than 60,000

Coway, a South Korean home appliance rental firm, will gradually reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and go net-zero by 2050, the company said Monday. Reiterating its commitment to its environmental, social and corporate governance initiative, the firm said it aimed to cut its emissions in half by 2030. By 2050, the company plans to operate entirely on renewable energy sources. To that end, Coway is using solar power at its three factories and one distribution center, with plans to invest f

Hyundai Motor is expanding its mobility subscription service Hyundai Selection to Busan, the second largest city here after Seoul, the company said Monday. Similar to a lease contract, Hyundai Selection allows subscribers to choose a car to use from its portfolio of vehicles at their preferred time and pick-up location through an app. The Busan extension will offer two service packages -- regular and special -- for 14 Hyundai Motor vehicles, the firm said. For the regular package, a month

The once-futuristic idea of a car running purely on electricity is no longer a dream. More and more battery-powered electric vehicles are being spotted on the road, as EVs or hybrid cars together form a chunk of new product launches from major automakers these days. . Though their market share is still tiny, battery electric vehicles are widely expected to overtake conventional gas-fueled cars in the foreseeable future as governments and industries seek a transition to cleaner energy to cut ca