• South Asia

    Indian farmers grapple with drought

    Water budgeting expertise sought after among farmers Amid continued drought in rural areas in India, farmers struggle to cultivate crops with less and less water. In some rural areas, illiterate farmers use their knacks in farming with less water and their farming expertise has now become a much-requested skill among…

    Read More »
  • East Asia

    North Korea’s bizarre distribution system

    When it comes to its economy, North Korea is a very special place. Perhaps not as much as it used to be, with the steady growth of grassroots capitalism, but in the days of Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of the current North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un, North Korea…

    Read More »

  • Why Korean firms don’t build ferries

    After the tragic sinking of the ferry Sewol, many are wondering why Korea, which has some of the world’s leading shipbuilders, is importing decades-old ferries from Japan and other countries. According to shipbuilders, they aren’t making ferries, not because they do not have the capability but because doing so is…

    Read More »

  • HiteJinro to open beer plant in Vietnam

    HiteJinro is looking to build a beer plant in either Vietnam or the Dominican Republic to seek more resilient growth, a company executive said in a recent interview. “If we decide to build a plant outside Korea, it will be in Vietnam. The Dominican Republic could be another option depending…

    Read More »

  • Trade between S. Korea and Turkey jumps over 30 pct under free trade pact

    Trade between South Korea and Turkey has jumped more than 30 percent over the past year under a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) aimed at lowering the overall trade barriers, customs data showed Monday. The two countries enacted the FTA for goods on May 1, 2013, lowering or removing their…

    Read More »

  • Hanwha’s solar biz to bounce back

    Hanwha Group predicts that its solar energy businesses will bounce back thanks to lower production costs and a steady increase in demand, the company said Sunday. The conglomerate said it expects that the quarterly sales of its energy business units ― Hanwha Q Cells and Hanwha SolarOne ― will turn…

    Read More »

  • GDP grows at fastest pace in 3 years

    The economy recorded its fastest growth in three years in the first quarter, according to the central bank, Thursday. The Bank of Korea (BOK) said the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) rose 3.9 percent from the preceding January-March period. It marks the fastest yearly growth since the first quarter of…

    Read More »

  • SK hynix enjoys sold sales, profits

    Memory chip maker surpasses 1 trillion won in operating profit SK hynix Thursday said it posted an operating profit of 1.05 trillion won in the first quarter, surpassing the initial market estimation of 978 billion won. The world’s second-largest chip maker is expected to enjoy robust sales for the rest…

    Read More »

  • Obama to meet business leaders

    U.S. President Barack Obama will meet Korean business leaders Saturday to seek more investment into the U.S., the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) said Thursday. “President Barack Obama will host a roundtable business event on April 26 to discuss investment opportunities in the U.S. and the KORUS free…

    Read More »

  • Foreign firms may buy Pantech, Dongbu HiTek

    Experts are worried that Korea could lose its tight grip on the mobile phone and semiconductor industries because foreign companies are planning to purchase stakes in leading domestic technology firms. Experts said that the Korean government should consider whether or not to allow foreign firms to buy stakes in Dongbu…

    Read More »