DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ North Korea's Kim inspects spy satellite photos of 'target regions', US bases
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nuclear-armed North Korea launched the satellite on Tuesday, but South Korean defence officials and analysts said its capabilities have not been independently verified. Kim examined photos of Seoul and other cities of Mokpo, Kunsan, Pyeongtaek and Osan, where U.S. and South Korean military bases are located. The photos were taken as the satellite passed over the peninsula on Friday morning, state news agency KCNA said. On Saturday, Kim visited the control centre once again to examine more photos taken in the morning of different target regions in South Korea: Jinhae, Busan, Ulsan, Pohang, Daegu and Gangneung. On Thursday, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik said North Korea had "exaggerated" by saying Kim had already viewed images of Guam.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, KCNA, Carl Vinson, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won, sik, Yonhap, Josh Smith, Jihoon Lee, Clarence Fernandez, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Korean, National Aerospace Technology Administration, Naval, Hickam Air Force, U.S . State Department, U.S, South Korean Defence Minister, Thomson Locations: Rights SEOUL, Seoul, North Korea, Mokpo, Pyeongtaek, Osan, Pyongyang, South Korea, Jinhae, Busan, Ulsan, Pohang, Daegu, Gangneung, Korean, Harbor, Hawaii, United States, Japan, Pacific, Guam, U.S

Now Widodo also needs a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States for Indonesian materials to qualify for the generous EV subsidies available under the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). What it got after last week's bilateral meeting was a commitment "to develop a critical minerals action plan (...) with a view toward establishing the foundation to launch future negotiations on a critical minerals agreement". The joint statement included some pointers as to what the United States expects from that action plan in terms of environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. A limited trade agreement on critical minerals could become an even more restricted deal if it were to apply only to non-Chinese material streams. South Korea has the advantage of having had an FTA with the United States since 2012.

Persons: Joko Widodo, Tesla, Widodo, Washington, Biden, Joe Manchin, Janet Yellen, Manchin, Trafigura, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Vale Tbk, U.S, Biden, GREEN, Benchmark Minerals, Australia, Greenpeace, of, Group, Minerals, Korea, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Sorowako, Indonesia's, Asian, United States, Indonesia, United, GREEN Indonesia, Philippines, Ulsan, South Korea, Morocco, South

☆ Hyundai Motor breaks ground on $1.5 bln EV plant in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Heekyong Yang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ULSAN, South Korea, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) on Monday broke ground on a 2 trillion won ($1.52 billion) dedicated electric vehicle (EV) plant in South Korea, as the automaker accelerate a shift to electrification. Hyundai Motor Group, which encompasses Hyundai Motor, Kia and Genesis brands, said in April it plans to launch 31 EVs by 2030. Hyundai Motor Group's Executive Chair Euisun Chung, Hyundai Motor's Chief Executive Officer and other officials, including the Ulsan Metropolitan City Mayor, attended the event to witness the ground breaking of the EV factory, the automaker's first new plant in South Korea in 29 years. The groundbreaking comes after Hyundai Motor said it would stick to its EV rollout plans - a contrast to some rivals that have pulled back on EV production due to cooling demand. Last year, Hyundai Motor Group broke ground on a $5.54 billion EV and battery plants in the U.S. state of Georgia.

Persons: Euisun Chung, Jaehoon Chang, Chang, 1,316.5100, Heekyong Yang, Ed Davies Organizations: Hyundai, Hyundai Motor, Kia Corp, Hyundai Motor Group, Kia, Genesis, Hyundai Motor's, Ulsan Metropolitan City Mayor, EV, General Motors Co, Chevrolet Silverado, GMC, Ford Motor, Tesla Inc, GM, Honda, Thomson Locations: ULSAN, South Korea, Ulsan, U.S ., Georgia, United States, Michigan, Mexico

☆ Hyundai plans to make 200,000 EVs a year at $1.5 billion plant in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Diksha Madhok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New Delhi CNN —Hyundai Motor has kicked off construction on a 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) facility in South Korea that will be dedicated to manufacturing electric vehicles. The group, which owns the Hyundai and Kia brands, held the groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday in Ulsan, where the carmaker built its first assembly plant in 1968. The new factory will be capable of producing 200,000 electric vehicles a year, the company said in a statement. The Korean carmaker’s investment in electric vehicles comes at a time when some of its rivals are taking the foot off the pedal. Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Group, is also investing $5.5 billion in Georgia to build electric vehicles and battery facilities.

Persons: ”, Euisun Chung, General Motors Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN — Hyundai, Hyundai, Kia, Ulsan, Hyundai Motor Group, General, Ford Locations: New Delhi, South Korea, Ulsan, Korean, Georgia

☆ An embarrassing Russian defeat a century ago is a warning about the risks of losing a war to China now, top US Air Force official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In May 1905, Russia's navy suffered a resounding defeat by the Japanese at the Battle of Tsushima. The battle is a lesson about complacency in the face of new threats, a top US Air Force official says. AdvertisementAdvertisementGreat-power competitionJapanese soldiers relieve Russian troops in an outer fort at Port Arthur after the Russian surrender in 1905. Proctor via Wikimedia Commons"The Battle of Tsushima Straits did not go well for Russia," Kendall, a self-proclaimed history buff, said at the conference. If our power-projection capability and capacity are not adequate to deter Chinese aggression against Taiwan or elsewhere, war could occur," Kendall said.

Persons: —, Frank Kendall, Kendall, aren't, George Rinhart, Port Arthur —, Korea's, Shigetada Seki, Port Arthur, Oriol, Tsushima, Oleg, Proctor, Theodore Roosevelt Organizations: Russia's, Russo, US Air Force, Service, Air Force, Air and Space Forces Association, Getty, Imperial, Siberian Railway, Asahi, Wikimedia, Imperial Japanese Navy, Russian, Baltic Fleet, 2nd Pacific Squadron, Wikimedia Commons, Mukden, Japanese Defense Ministry, US Defense Department Russia's Locations: Tsushima, Japanese, Asia, European, Imperial Japan, Imperial Russia, Pacific, Japan, Russia, China, Port, Europe, Korea, Dalian, Liaodong, Port Arthur, Tokyo, Russian Pacific, Chemulpo, Ulsan, Baltic, Russian, Vladivostok, Philippines, Madagascar, Manila Bay, Shandong, Okinawa, US, Britain, Germany, Imperial Germany, South, Soviet Union, Manchuria, Taiwan

☆ South Korea's Hyundai, Saudi Aramco clinch $2.4 bln gas plant deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] General view of the summit between President of South Korea, Yoon Suk-Yeol and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman in al Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 22, 2023. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Oct 24 (Reuters) - South Korea's Hyundai Engineering & Construction (000720.KS) and Hyundai Engineering have signed a $2.4 billion contract with oil giant Saudi Aramco (2222.SE) to build a gas processing plant, Seoul's presidential office said on Tuesday. Jafurah is Saudi's largest unconventional non-oil associated gas field, with reserves estimated at 200 trillion cubic feet (5.7 trillion cubic metres) of raw gas. State-run Korea National Oil Corp also clinched a storage deal with Aramco during Yoon's visit that allows the Saudi company to store 5.3 million barrels of oil in South Korea's reserve facilities in the port of Ulsan for five years. After a four-day stay in Riyadh, Yoon left for Doha on Monday where he will attend an international horticultural expo before holding a summit on Tuesday with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, his office said.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, Hyonhee Shin, Tom Hogue Organizations: Saudi Arabia's Crown, Saudi Press Agency, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Hyundai Engineering, Construction, Saudi Aramco, South Korean, Hyundai Motor Group, Hyundai, Aramco, Saudi Crown, Saudi, Hamas, Korea National Oil Corp, Doha, Thomson Locations: South Korea, al Yamamah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Rights SEOUL, Saudi, Israel, South Korea's, Ulsan, Thani

Seoul/Hong Kong CNN —When Hwang Ji-sun, 52, first joined the assembly line at South Korean carmaker Hyundai 22 years ago, women like her had it tough. A wider problemDespite the incremental improvements, South Korea still has widespread problems of gender-based exclusion and low pay, researchers say. Gita Gopinath, first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has proposed South Korea adopt new measures to help keep women in the workforce. Making childcare more affordable, lowering the number of working hours or allowing more flexible arrangements is key, she told a South Korean forum last September. In a culturally conservative society like South Korea, much more needs to be done to change perceptions about women in male-dominated professions, according to Hwang.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Hwang Ji, Hwang —, ”, Jung Sungmi, Hwang, Yasuyoshi Chiba, PIIE, Gita Gopinath, Roh Helena, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hyundai, Korea Metal Workers ’ Union, CNN, ”, Economic Co, Development, Korean Women’s Development, Getty, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, country’s Ministry of Employment, Labor, Peterson Institute for International Economics, International Monetary Fund, South, “, Korean Women Workers Association, Hyundai Motor Locations: Seoul, Hong Kong, South Korea, Ulsan, United States, Turkey, India, Indonesia, AFP, South, Korea, South Korean

The world's top importing region saw arrivals of 24.95 million barrels per day (bpd) in September, down from August's 25.22 million bpd, according to data complied by LSEG. September's imports were also almost 3 million bpd weaker than the 27.92 million bpd seen in July, which was the highest monthly total so far in 2023. China imported 11.53 million bpd in September, down from August's 12.49 million bpd, according to LSEG data. Russia was China's top supplier in September, providing 1.81 million bpd, eclipsing the 1.44 million bpd from Saudi Arabia. The main question for Asia's oil demand in the fourth quarter is just how hard the recent price rally will bite demand.

Persons: Vietnam's, China doesn't, Asia's, Jamie Freed Organizations: LSEG, Imports, Reliance Industries, SK Energy's Ulsan, Taiwan's CPC, Brent, U.S, world's, Reuters, Thomson Locations: LAUNCESTON, Australia, August's, Jamnagar, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Asia, CHINA, China, Russia, Iran

☆ Renault Korea to manufacture EVs in city of Busan: city government
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, June 22 (Reuters) - Renault Korea Motors plans to build infrastructure at its plant in the southeastern city of Busan to manufacture electric vehicles (EVs), the Busan city government said. The automaker aims to produce 200,000 EVs a year at its Busan facilities, a statement issued by the city cited Renault Group Executive Vice President Guido Haak as saying. It was not immediately clear how much Renault planned to invest to build the EV production facilities. Renault Korea did not have an immediate comment. The announcement comes after Hyundai Motor said in May it will invest around 2 trillion won ($1.54 billion) in Ulsan, South Korea, to build a designated EV factory.

Persons: Guido Haak, Haak, 1,294.7800, Heekyong Yang, Soo, hyang Choi, Ed Davies Organizations: Renault Korea Motors, Renault Group, Busan Mayor Park, Renault, Hyundai Motor, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Busan, France, Renault Korea, Ulsan, South Korea

The company did not specify how much it expects its second-quarter refining margin, a key profit metric for refiners, to be. The company posted operating profit of 375 billion won ($281.6 million) for the first quarter ended March, versus 1.6 trillion won a year earlier. In March, Ford Motor, which uses batteries from SK On, recalled 18 electric trucks due to a battery cell manufacturing defect. SK On currently has battery joint ventures with Ford and Hyundai Motor Group in the United States. Shares of SK Innovation were trading up 0.5% in morning trade, versus a 0.3% fall in the broader KOSPI index (.KS11).

The project is expected to cost 83.7 billion yuan ($12.2 billion), partner Panjin Xicheng Industrial Group said in a statement on WeChat on Sunday. Construction at the complex will start in the second quarter after the project secures the required administrative approvals, Aramco said. Before the pandemic, Aramco signed two other initial agreements for refinery-petrochemical investments in China. The other is with Shandong Energy that includes a potential crude supply agreement and chemical products offtake deal, as well as exploring collaboration on an integrated refining and petrochemical complex in China. Earlier in March, Saudi Aramco also broke ground on a $7 billion project to produce petrochemicals from crude oil at its South Korean affiliate S-Oil Corp's (010950.KS) refining complex in the port city of Ulsan.

☆ The week in Asian football
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Michael Church | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Talking points from the week in Asian football:RONALDO'S SAUDI SCORING STREAK CONTINUES WITH HAT-TRICKCristiano Ronaldo's scoring run continued on Saturday as the Portuguese attacker netted all three goals in Al Nassr's 3-0 victory over Damak. The 38-year-old capped the scoring a minute before halftime when he side-footed home after Ayman Yahya cut the ball back towards the penalty spot. The goal was Ronaldo's eighth in five league games since joining Al Nassr after the World Cup. The defeat was the second in a row for new Urawa coach Maciej Skorza and the Pole's team are bottom of the standings. JANKOVIC APPOINTED NEW CHINA COACHSerbian Aleksandar Jankovic has been named coach of the China national team for next year's Asian Cup and the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

☆ New Zealand 'suitcase murders': Mother pleads not guilty over alleged killings
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The mother of two children whose bodies were found in suitcases in New Zealand earlier this year has pleaded not guilty to their alleged murders, her lawyer told CNN on Wednesday. Lawyer Christopher Wilkinson-Smith said he submitted the two not guilty pleas on behalf of his client, who did not appear at the hearing at Auckland High Court. The 42-year-old woman remains in custody after being extradited from South Korea to New Zealand. The court has ordered the woman’s identity and those of the victims to be withheld from the public. According to South Korean police, the woman was born in South Korea and is a New Zealand citizen.

☆ South Korean truckers go on strike, posing risk to supply chain
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Ju-Min Park | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Unionised truckers in South Korea kicked off their second major strike in less than six months on Thursday, threatening to disrupt manufacturing and fuel supplies in the world's 10th-largest economy. With fuel costs soaring, the truckers are calling on the government to make permanent a minimum-pay system that is due to expire by the end of the year, and to expand benefits for truckers in other industries, including oil tankers. Lead organiser the Cargo Truckers Solidarity Union (CTSU) has warned the strike could stop oil supplies at major refineries and transport at major ports and industrial plants. In June, an eight-day strike by truckers delayed cargo shipments for industries from autos to semiconductors in Asia's fourth-largest economy, costing more than $1.2 billion in lost output and unmet deliveries. The Korea Oil Station Association is asking gas station owners to secure enough inventory ahead of the strike, an association official said earlier.

SEOUL, Nov 17 (Reuters) - South Korean and Saudi Arabian leaders pledged stronger ties on Thursday in the fields of energy, defence industry and building projects, as the oil-rich kingdom signed investment agreements worth $30 billion with South Korean companies. "In particular, he said he would like to drastically strengthen cooperation with South Korea in the areas of defence industry, infrastructure and construction," Yoon's office said. Saudi-based Asharq TV quoted the kingdom's investment minister as saying deals signed on Thursday were worth $30 billion. "The (South Korean) government will actively support the successful implementation of cooperative projects which apply Korea's state-of-the-art architecture ... in NEOM," said South Korea's trade minister, Lee Chang-yang. Shares in Lotte Fine Chemical (004000.KS), which signed an agreement for chemical industry cooperation with the Saudi Ministry of Investment, rose 2.1%.

☆ S-Oil plans to invest $7 bln in South Korea factory
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL, Nov 17 (Reuters) - S-Oil Corp (010950.KS) said on Thursday it plans a 9.3 trillion won ($6.98 billion) investment in its Ulsan, South Korea, factory to produce more high-value petrochemical products. The refiner, whose largest shareholder is Saudi Aramco (2222.SE), said in a regulatory filing that the investment will start from next year and be completed by June 2026. "Improvement of profitability is expected by upgrading low value-added raw materials, such as naphtha, byproduct gas and residual oil to high value-added chemical products," S-Oil said in a regulatory filing. The announcement coincides with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to South Korea on Thursday. ($1 = 1,332.8900 won)Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Leslie Adler and Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Saudi Aramco to pump $7 bln into biggest petchem investment in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Joyce Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Saudi Aramco (2222.SE) plans a $7-billion investment at a South Korean affiliate's factory in the port city of Ulsan to turn out more high-value petrochemical products, the company said on Thursday. The project, named Shaheen, is the Saudi firm's biggest investment in the Asian nation to develop one of the world's largest refinery-integrated petrochemical steam crackers, Aramco said in a statement. Saudi Aramco owns more than 63% of South Korean refiner S-Oil Corp (010950.KS). It will have production capacity of up to 3.2 million tonnes a year, along with a facility to produce high-value polymers, Aramco said. The news came in conjunction with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to South Korea on Thursday.

☆ North Korea says missile tests were practice to attack South and U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea’s military said Monday its recent barrage of missile tests were practice to “mercilessly” strike key South Korean and U.S. targets such as air bases and operation command systems with a variety of missiles that are likely nuclear-capable. Almost all other North Korean missiles launched last week were likely short-range, many of them nuclear-capable weapons. They place key military targets in South Korea, including U.S. military bases there, within striking range. Later Monday, South Korea’s military disputed some of the North’s accounts of its missile tests. On Saturday, the final day of the air force exercises, the United States flew two B-1B supersonic bombers over South Korea in a display of strength against North Korea, the aircraft’s first such flyover since December 2017.

☆ North Korea slams South Korea-U.S. drills, vows 'merciless' moves
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Recent North Korean missile tests are pictured in this undated combination photo taken at undisclosed locations and released on November 7, 2022 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Last week, North Korea test-fired multiple missiles including a possible failed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and hundreds of artillery shells into the sea, as South Korea and the United States carried out six-day air drills until Saturday. The North's military said the "Vigilant Storm" exercises were an "open provocation aimed at intentionally escalating the tension" and "a dangerous war drill of very high aggressive nature." The General Staff of the North's Korean People's Army (KPA) accused Seoul and Washington of eliciting a "more unstable confrontation," and vowed to counter their drills with "sustained, resolute and overwhelming practical military measures." Reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

SEOUL, Nov 3 (Reuters) - SK Innovation Co Ltd (096770.KS), the owner of South Korea's top oil refiner SK Energy, said on Thursday it expects a gradual recovery in refining margins this quarter as stronger Western sanctions on Russia and the winter season push up fuel demand. However, the company said margins will likely remain not far from third-quarter levels due to global recession worries. SK Innovation's operating profit rose to 704 billion won ($493 million) in the July-September period from 669 billion won a year earlier, it said. Revenue rose 82% to 22.8 trillion won, beating an average analyst estimate of 19.8 trillion won according to Refinitiv SmartEstimate. SK Innovation shares were trading up 0.8% in morning trade, versus a 0.6% fall in the broader KOSPI (.KS11).

[1/3] Police officers stand guard near the scene of a crowd crush that happened during Halloween festivities, in Seoul, South Korea, November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Heo RanSEOUL, Nov 2 (Reuters) - As South Korea mourns the deaths of more than 150 people in a Halloween party crush, many people - even those not directly involved - are dealing with trauma and a search for answers that has at times blamed the victims, a psychiatry expert says. "It spread very quickly through news media and social media, leaving people directly and indirectly affected, and even those who aren't affected may feel distressed and frustrated, pretty much casting a sense of dread over the entire society," he said. The government sent a mobile clinic run by the National Center for Disaster Trauma to Itaewon, offering free counselling. "For example, when we had COVID-19 cases the first time in South Korea, there were a lot of blaming reactions like 'why did you go there?

☆ Tigres Monterrey a făcut istorie. A câștigat Liga Campionilor Confederaţiei Americii de Nord, Centrale şi Caribilor
▼ + stars: | 2020-12-23 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +1 min

Tigres Monterrey a câştigat pentru prima dată în istorie, Liga Campionilor Confederaţiei Americii de Nord, Centrale şi Caribilor. Tigres s-a văzut condusă din minutul 61 după golul reușit de Diego Rossi. Fostul internațional francez, Andre-Pierre Gignac, a marcat golul decisiv în minutul 84. După acest succes, Tigres va evolua la Cupa Mondială a cluburilor, care ar trebui să se desfăşoare în Qatar. Competiţia, programată iniţial în această lună, a fost amânată pentru perioada 1-11 februarie 2021, din cauza pandemiei de coronavirus.

Persons: Diego Rossi, californiene, Hugo Ayala, Andre, Pierre Gignac Organizations: Liga Campionilor, Los, Los Angeles FC, Tigres, Cupa Mondială, Competiţia, neozeelandez, neozeelandez Auckland City, Ligii Campionilor, Bayern Munchen, câştigătoare Locations: Monterrey, Americii de Nord, Centrale, Orlando, Los Angeles, Qatar, neozeelandez Auckland, America de Sud

Search resuls for: "Ulsan"

22 mentions found