KB Financial (105560.KS) Maps AI-Led 2027-2029 Strategy
KB Financial Group (105560.KS), Korea's most profitable financial holding company — 2025 net profit of KRW 5.84 trillion (approximately USD 4.26 billion) — used
Samsung (005930.KS) ₩46T HBM Plant Clears Fast-Track Permit
Asan City, a manufacturing hub in South Chungcheong province about 90 km south of Seoul, said this week it has opened fast-track permitting for Samsung Electron
Hanwha Pushes KAI Stake to 12.4% With ₩500 Billion Top-Up, Reviving Debate Over Korea's Only Fighter Jet Maker
Hanwha Group raised its KAI stake to 12.44% with a ₩500 billion purchase on July 8, extending a systematic accumulation that began in November 2025 and reigniting debate over privatization of Korea's sole integrated aircraft manufacturer, which posted record Q1 revenue of ₩1.09 trillion.
Korea's Financial Giants Enter Crypto as Mirae Asset Clears Korbit Deal While Naver-Dunamu Tie-Up Stalls
Korea's FTC approved Mirae Asset Consulting's ₩133.5B (92.06%) acquisition of Korbit on July 9, marking Korea's first financial conglomerate takeover of a licensed crypto exchange. Meanwhile, Naver Financial's ₩15.1T deal for Upbit operator Dunamu has been pushed to a December 31 deadline amid antitrust and regulatory uncertainty.
TPG Wins Exclusive Bid for Lotte Rental Stake as Global PE Firms Circle Korea's Rental Car Market
TPG has won exclusive due diligence rights for a 61.21% controlling stake in Lotte Rental (089860.KS), Korea's second-largest car rental company, at over KRW 1 trillion (~USD 662 million). The deal beat out KKR, Carlyle, EQT, and Bain Capital. Affinity Equity Partners was blocked by the FTC due to its existing ownership of SK Rent-a-Car.
Korea Pivots Back to LNG as AI Chip Clusters Create 6.3 GW Electricity Gap
South Korea is reversing course on natural gas policy, potentially raising LNG's share of the power mix to meet the 6.3 GW electricity demand from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix's planned semiconductor cluster. KOGAS and KEPCO are the primary listed beneficiaries of the policy shift.
BGF Retail Posts Best Q1 Operating Profit in Five Years as CU Convenience Fee Margins Recover
BGF Retail (282330.KS), operator of Korea largest convenience store chain CU, posted Q1 2026 operating profit of KRW 38.1 billion, up 68.6% year-on-year, on revenue of KRW 2,120.4 billion. Net income more than doubled to KRW 29.3 billion, a 119% increase.
HLB's Liver Cancer Combo Hits Third FDA Roadblock as China Partner's Plant Fails Inspection
HLB Inc. receives its third FDA complete response letter for the rivoceranib-camrelizumab combination in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. The rejection again cites manufacturing deficiencies at partner Hengrui Pharma's China facility, not clinical efficacy. HLB stock plunged to the daily lower limit of KRW 36,600 (-29.89%), with all HLB Group stocks hitting daily limits on Korean exchanges.
KakaoBank Signs Strategic Stake in Mongolia's M Bank to Export AI Credit Model
KakaoBank CEO Yoon Ho-young signed a strategic equity stake with MCS Group and M Bank at the Korea-Mongolia Business Forum, marking the bank's first overseas equity investment and beginning its AI credit-scoring technology export.
Three Korean IT Giants Form First-Ever Unions in One Week as Bonus Gap With Chip Divisions Widens
Samsung SDS, Hyundai AutoEver, and Shinsegae I&C formed their first-ever unions in one week (July 6–8, 2026), driven by the widening bonus gap with chip-division peers at Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
Hanwha Qcells Builds America's Largest Renewable Complex — 2.8 GW Solar and 5.7 GWh Storage in Arizona
Hanwha Qcells is executing engineering, procurement, and construction for all 14 projects within Atlas Energy Park in Arizona — the US's largest renewable energy complex at 2.8 GW solar and 5.7 GWh storage, with LG Energy Solution supplying 4.8 GWh of batteries by October 2026.
SK Hynix (SKHY) $26.5B ADR Debut Surges 14% on Nasdaq
SK Hynix, the world's second-largest memory chipmaker behind Samsung Electronics, made its U.S. market debut on Friday, and the numbers were built for headlines