South Korean companies listed on the country's main stock market saw their debt ratio edge up in the first quarter of this year from three months earlier, data showed Monday.The debt-to-equity ratio of 598 listed companies, which close their books in December, came to 111.38 percent at the end o

State-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) and General Motors Co. on Friday signed a binding agreement on the rescue package for the U.S. carmaker's local unit, GM Korea Co., an industry source said.Details of the agreement were not disclosed due to confidentiality obligations, but Friday's sign

South Korea's national pension fund has decided to ask its outside experts to exercise voting rights over whether to approve Hyundai Motor Group's corporate governance overhaul program later this month, an official said Friday.The National Pension Service made the decision earlier in the day

South Korea's jobless rate fell slightly in April due to a rise in employment in the health care, financial service and public service sectors, but job creation still remained weak, government data showed Wednesday.The unemployment rate stood at 4.1 percent last month, down 0.1 percentage point

A senior official of Samsung Electronics' after-services unit was arrested Tuesday over a suspected leading role in sabotaging its labor union, prosecutors said.Choi Pyeong-seok, the executive of Samsung Electronics Service in charge of the human resources division, was taken into custody after

South Korea eased its dependence on the Middle East and Southeast Asia for imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2017 as it sharply increased purchases from the United States and Australia, data showed Monday.South Korea, Asia's fourth-biggest economy, is one of the largest consumers of natu

South Korea's No. 2 tech giant, LG Electronics Inc., on Friday started perorders for its latest smartphones in the home market, with local mobile carriers providing discounts of up to 247,000 won (US$231) depending on monthly subscription plans.The company started preorders for the LG G7 ThinQ a

Lotte Shopping Co., the retail unit of South Korea's fifth-largest conglomerate, Lotte, said Friday it swung to the red in the first quarter from a year earlier as the company moves to withdraw from the Chinese market.It suffered a net loss of 9.9 billion won (US$9.25 million) on a consolidated

Natural Resources Canada on Friday announced winners for the 2018 ENERGY STAR Canada Awards, with Samsung Electronics named as one of leading manufacturers in terms of providing energy-efficient products to the North American market.The Canadian energy ministry said the South Korean tech company bec

The South Korean government and General Motors Co. agreed to provide a total of US$7.15 billion in fresh investment for the U.S. carmaker's struggling local unit, officials said Thursday.Under the agreement, GM will convert $2.8 billion owed by GM Korea Co. into shares and extend loans worth $3.

Hanwha Q Cells, a leading global solar company constantly exploring new approaches and technologies, is now focusing on small solar power generation facilities. “While large-scale solar energy projects are important, there is no denying that the world is now experiencing a boom of small solar energy

South Korea's telecom watchdog said Wednesday it released a new service that locks smartphones when the device detects the user walking more than five steps in a bid to prevent accidents and keep pedestrians focused on their surroundings.The Korea Communications Commission said it will update th

The South Korean economy is on a firm growth trajectory under the Moon Jae-in government, but a dire job market situation, coupled with controversy over the effects of a raft of new economic policies, is posing daunting challenges for the liberal government that took office a year ago.South Korea

South Korea needs more attention to avoid U.S. anti-dumping moves as the bulk of its exports to the world's No. 1 economy overlaps with already regulated Chinese goods, a report said Tuesday.According to the report by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), 90 percent of South Korean e

Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. are on track to achieve their sales target of 7.55 million vehicles this year as they are expected to post nearly 10 percent on-year sales growth in the second quarter, company officials said Monday.As their sales have been on a recovery path in C

Police began a formal probe Friday into the allegations that the wife of Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho bullied workers several years ago.Lee Myung-hee, 69, is accused of assaulting or abusing several workers at a hotel construction site in 2014.Police launched the investigation into the case aft

The transaction volume of Samsung Electronics Co. among retail investors jumped nearly six times as the tech giant's stock split lowered the entry bar, the bourse operator said Sunday.The amount of Samsung Electronics shares traded by individual investors on Friday -- after a three-day hiatus to

South Korea's credit default risk has hit a yearly low amid rising hope for reconciliation between the two Koreas after Seoul and Pyongyang successfully held a summit last month, data showed Saturday.The credit default swap (CDS) premium for South Korean foreign exchange stabilization bonds with

South Korea's major biopharmaceutical firm, Samsung BioLogics Co., saw its market capitalization plunge this week over alleged accounting violations, market data showed Saturday.The share price of the firm nosedived 26.3 percent over the previous three trade sessions, losing a whopping 8.5 trill

Saudi Arabia's energy minister Khalid Al Falih said on Friday that he is "optimistic" about South Korea's chance of being included in the shortlist for a nuclear project in the Middle Eastern nation.Al Falih, Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia, made the rema