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Tag: Korea

  • Korean firm to set up halal ramen plant in Malaysia

    Korean firm to set up halal ramen plant in Malaysia

    FGV Holdings Bhd is looking to partner with South Korea’s Samyang Foods Co Ltd for the establishment of Samyang Halal’s production facilities in Malaysia. FGV told Bursa Malaysia that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Samyang. The production facilities will focus on serving halal ramen and instant noodle products for Malaysia and global markets.

    FGV’s newly appointed CEO Datuk Haris Fadzilah Hassan said the collaboration is part of he group’s strategic direction to expand its downstream business by diversifying the product offerings and penetrating into new markets.

    Its logistics and support businesses sector is also set to benefit from this partnership by providing a total logistics supply chain solution.

    “With this MoU, FGV hopes to explore the opportunity for both parties to establish a halal ramen and instant noodle manufacturing plant in Malaysia. The global halal food market is one of the fastest growing segments in the food industry and is expected to reach more than US$740 billion in value by 2025,” Haris said.

    FGV said the collaboration will also give FGV access to Samyang’s supply chain, which includes cooking oil, vegetable fats and sugar for its existing ramen plant in Wonju, South Korea.

    Samyang is listed on the Korean Stock Exchange with a market capitalisation of KRW459.514 billion (RM1.68 billion). It is in the business of manufacturing and selling various food products such as ramen, snacks, dairy products, sauces, and frozen dumplings.

    FGV noted that its downstream entity Delima Oil Products Sdn Bhd (DOP) can leverage on Samyang’s strong R&D and global distribution networks to improve quality and expand the reach of its “Saji” products regionally and globally.

    “In addition, DOP will benefit from Samyang’s ver 50 years’ experience in the ramen and instant noodle industry to strengthen its own products and brand positioning.”

  • Hyundai Mobis net swings to positive in Q4

    Hyundai Mobis net swings to positive in Q4

    Hyundai Mobis, Korea’s biggest auto parts maker, said Friday it shifted to net profit in the October-December period due to a low base effect. A net profit of 419.8 billion won ($374.1 million) was achieved for the three months that ended in December, from a net loss of 168.6 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a statement. The result was helped by the high level of corporate taxation reflected in the bottom line for the last quarter of 2017, but there were no such one-off outlays in the final three months of last year, a company spokesman said.

    Operating profit jumped 82 percent to 581.7 billion won in the fourth quarter from 319.4 billion won a year ago.

    Sales rose 9.3 percent to 9.644 trillion won from 8.822 trillion won during the same period.

    In the fourth quarter of 2017, operating profit was hit hard by a diplomatic row between Seoul and Beijing over the deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system, called Thaad, in Korea.

    Operating profit in the last quarter of 2018 rebounded following the easing of bilateral tensions.

    Sales climbed on the back of increased exports of high-end auto components and higher parts sales in after-sales markets despite the won’s strength against the dollar and currencies in emerging markets, the statement said.

    For the whole of 2018, net profit rose 21 percent to 1.888 trillion won from 1.558 trillion won a year earlier. Operating profit remained unchanged at 2.025 trillion won compared to a year ago. Sales also changed little to 35.149 trillion won versus 35.145 trillion won, it said.

  • At Kia, sales go up, but profit doesn’t follow

    At Kia, sales go up, but profit doesn’t follow

    Kia Motors’ sales expanded last year, but profits faltered. Korea’s second-largest carmaker by sales said Friday it posted 94.3 billion won ($84 million) in net profit for the fourth quarter last year, a 10 percent drop year on year.
    Though the carmaker’s revenue in the fourth quarter increased by 3.6 percent to 13.47 trillion won due to increased sales, the company said the Korean won’s strength against the U.S. dollar dragged down profits.

    A similar trend is evident in the company’s annual earnings report. The company posted 54.17 trillion won in revenue for the whole of last year, a 1.2 percent increase from the previous year. Global sales also increased by 2.4 percent during the year, selling more than 2.8 million units.

    Despite expanded sales, the company’s net profit was limited to 1.16 trillion won, a 19.4 percent jump from 2017, but still below market expectations or the company’s average profit recorded between 2014 and 2016.

    Profit in 2017 fell to below a trillion won due to a one-off cost of around a trillion won that was reflected that year after a local court ordered the company to make an overdue payment to employees.

    The goal this year for Hyundai Motor’s sister company is to ramp up profitability, especially in the U.S. and Chinese markets, with new car launches and stronger SUV lineups. The automaker also plans to tackle emerging markets like Russia and India with localized models.

    Kia is betting big on its Telluride SUV to turn its business around in the U.S. market. The largest SUV yet in Kia’s lineup will launch in the United States during the first half of this year.

    “As we launch new cars in the U.S. market including the Telluride SUV and new Soul crossover and diversify our product mix, we expect our profitability to improve,” said Joo Woo-jeong, chief financial officer at Kia, during a conference call with analysts on Friday. “The Telluride SUV was well received at the Detroit Motor Show and its image as an off-roader fits well with demands in the U.S. market.”

    The SUV was recently introduced during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

    For China, Joo said Kia will strengthen its local dealer network and better manage car inventories there to improve business. The company is also planning on launching dedicated SUV models for the Chinese market. While Kia sold 370,000 cars in China last year, it hopes to sell 410,000 cars this year based on the new strategies.

    Joo admitted that “China is the most difficult market for Kia” at the moment. Kia plans to sell a total of 2.92 million cars this year, a 3.9 percent increase from last year.

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  • Facebook strikes deal with SK to pay data fees

    Facebook strikes deal with SK to pay data fees

    Facebook reportedly finally agreed to pay data traffic fees to SK Broadband after two years of negotiations. According to local media reports Sunday, the social media giant and internet provider agreed to a two-year network usage deal to set up a cache server for temporary data storage and provide fast Facebook access to SK Broadband users. While the two companies did not confirm the exact sum, Facebook will reportedly pay more than what it previously proposed during negotiations.

    SK Broadband is not the first internet provider that Facebook will be paying in the country. In 2015, it signed a contract with KT to open a cache server. The two companies are currently working on renewing the contract after it expired last July.

    The new deal with SK Broadband comes after Facebook faced negative press for inconveniencing users while trying to avoid paying network fees to SK Broadband and LG U+.

    In late 2016 and early 2017, the social media giant re-routed non-KT users to its server in Hong Kong when they tried to connect to the platform, slowing down access considerably. The Korea Communications Commission charged the company 396 million won ($353,900) in fines and ordered it to change its practices.

    Following the agreement with SK Broadband, the social media giant is expected to open up a cache server with the internet provider.

    The company is also reported to be working with LG U+ on a similar deal.

    The recent deal highlights the question of whether other foreign IT giants will follow suit and pay data traffic fees to Korea’s network providers.

    Many Korean businesses have complained that current laws and practices hurt domestic firms. Naver and Kakao, for example, pay around 70 billion won and 30 billion won every year to Korea’s three network providers to compensate for their high traffic volume, while Google and Netflix – which are thought to be responsible for half of Korea’s data traffic together with Facebook – pay none.

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  • Naver to open up TV service, take on YouTube

    Naver to open up TV service, take on YouTube

    Local IT giant Naver announced plans Thursday to make its Naver TV service an open platform where anybody can freely upload videos, pitting it in direct competition with YouTube. The company said it would apply the change during this year’s first half. Originally, only people with more than 300 subscribers on other video platforms were permitted to create a channel on Naver TV.

    Unlike YouTube, considered the playground of individual creators, most traffic at Naver TV is to come from short videos from TV shows uploaded by broadcasting or cable channels, like TvN or JTBC. Lowering the bar is intended to draw in the legions of individual creators who have begun to emerge in Korea over the last two years.

    “Naver TV was originally focused on offering video from TV for users that flow in via our search engine,” said a company spokesperson.

    “We gradually had small- or mid-sized studios upload web dramas or famous beauty creators joining our platform and by that experience we learned the patterns of how original content is consumed. Now we want to make it accessible to more creators.”

    Last week, Naver lowered the bar to 100 subscribers and simplified the process required to set up a channel, as a first step to earn feedback and find areas that need improvement before fully opening the door to everyone.

    As a strategy to boost users, Naver is devising a compensation system to reward creators according to their performance. Channels with more than 300 subscribers and whose videos were played for more than 300 hours will be offered the choice to roll advertisements.

    Naver CEO Han Seong-sook publicly stressed the importance of online videos multiple times last year, expressing a will to develop that sector.

    “The internet market is rapidly restructuring to be centered on videos – Naver will also invest more in line with this change,” she said in a conference call in July, pointing out how the younger generation no longer spends time on portal sites or social networks, but on video platforms.

    Naver’s traditional strengths are not in video but other services, such as its search engine, blogs and online communities. Regardless, the company has invested in its video services. Apart from Naver TV, its other main video service is V LIVE – a platform via which K-pop idols can host live streamed videos with fans. Around 70 to 80 percent of users at V LIVE are based overseas.

    “Instead of running a single platform like YouTube, our direction at the moment is to divide platforms according to usage and optimize the service that fits their respective purposes – V LIVE for fans and Naver TV for general creators,” said the Naver spokesman.

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  • Low export numbers put Hyundai profit in the red

    Low export numbers put Hyundai profit in the red

    Hyundai Motor swung to a net loss in the fourth quarter last year, largely due to the strength of the won over the U.S. dollar and weak global sales. It is the worst quarterly earnings reported since 2010, when the company first started posting earnings based on the International Financial Reporting Standards. Korea’s No. 1 automaker by sales on Thursday posted a net loss of 203.3 billion won ($180 million) for the quarter that ended December, a considerable drop from the 1.29 trillion won net profit inked a year earlier.

    The company cited weak earnings from its affiliated locomotive maker Hyundai Rotem, unfavorable currency rates and the sluggish growth of the global automotive industry as major reasons that pulled down earnings in the fourth quarter.

    It added that the cost of its investment into developing futuristic cars was also reflected.

    Hyundai already surprised investors when it posted 306 billion won in net profit in the third quarter, a 67.4 percent year-on-year drop. At the time, the company blamed one-off costs of airbags, engine quality control and marketing activities as well as currency rates to explain its losses and said the fourth quarter would be a better quarter.

    Following the two bad quarters, the carmaker’s annual net profit also dropped to a record low since 2010 – 1.645 trillion won last year, less than half of 2017’s 4.546 trillion won. In 2012, its annual net profit exceeded 9.056 trillion won.

    Choi Byung-chul, chief financial officer at Hyundai Motor, however, said the automaker was able to ramp up automotive sales in the fourth quarter thanks to newly-released SUVs and that the company’s performance could bounce back with several new car launches scheduled this year.

    According to the earnings report, revenue from the automotive business increased by 9.3 percent on year to 20,399 billion won in the fourth quarter. Operating income also jumped up 556.7 percent year on year to 463 billion won for automotives.

    The most recently launched Palisade SUV has been well received by Korean consumers after its launch last month, and a Hyundai Motor spokesperson said it is considering expanding production of the SUV in accordance with the demand. The carmaker has taken orders for 30,000 Palisades so far, according to Koo Za-yong, head of investor relations at Hyundai Motor.

    “Growth of the global automotive market is expected to slow down, but we will strengthen our brand competitiveness by launching cars in segments [that Hyundai had little presence in],” said Koo during a conference call with analysts on Thursday.

    Highly anticipated Hyundai cars this year include a new Sonata sedan and a premium SUV GV80 branded under Genesis.

    Hyundai plans to sell a total of 4.68 million cars this year by selling 712,000 units domestically and 3.97 million units abroad. Last year, the company sold 4.59 million cars at home and abroad, a 1.8 percent increase year on year.

    The automaker commented on its governance reform plans during the conference call as well. It plans to complete reforms this year to break the cross-shareholding structure between affiliates and improve shareholder returns. Last year, its attempt to reform its governance structure failed after facing a series of complaints from U.S. activist hedge fund Elliott Management.

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  • Korean Netflix shows target a global audience

    Korean Netflix shows target a global audience

    Ahead of the launch of Netflix’s first original Korean drama series today, executives from the streaming giant expressed confidence in the global popularity of Korean content at a press briefing in Seoul, Thursday. Kim Min-young, the director of content at Netflix in Korea, said that she expected to win over fans with the company’s first-ever original Korean drama series “Kingdom,” a highly-anticipated zombie series that launches on the streaming platform.

    “‘Kingdom’ will launch in 190 countries in 27 languages at the same time, with dubbing provided in 12 different languages,” Kim said.

    “We expect many users will want to watch it, as it can appeal to both people who like zombie thrillers or just Korean content … I believe in our creators and [the popularity] of Korean media, which is also the reason why Netflix launched Korea’s own content team in the country last year.”

    Before last May, the team that produced and licensed content to Netflix for the Korean market worked from Singapore at the company’s Asia-Pacific headquarters. Following the relocation, the Korean content team has been pursuing licensing and production activities more actively, working with domestic content producers like JTBC and Studio Dragon.

    Regarding original production in Korea, Kim said she benchmarks successful foreign Netflix original dramas like Spanish title “Elite” and Turkey’s “The Protector” that became huge hits with users across the world.

    “Our ultimate goal is to present entertainment to consumers, and from our experience, we found it necessary to give creators the freedom to tell the story they want to share,” said Kim.

    “As you can see with ‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch,’ we will help producers to not be hindered from doing what they want because of technological limits.”

    “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” is a choose-your-own-adventure film by Netflix that allows users to choose one of many action courses for the characters throughout the movie to determine how the plot progresses. Kim hinted that the impressive technological feats as shown via the interactive video could also be made possible in Netflix’s Korean programs.

    “We were also satisfied with the performance of our original entertainment program ‘Busted!,’ as reflected by our decision to produce a second season,” she said.

    The Netflix team also addressed concerns that Netflix provided limited service offerings and imposed unfair deals on its Korean partners.

    “Although we can’t provide all content available out there, we conduct analyses to discover what content users want,” Kim said. “But we have contents like ‘Friends,’ ‘Walking Dead’ and ‘Kim’s Convenience’ which users can’t access elsewhere.”

    In response to a rumored nine-to-one profit division between Netflix and Korean distributors like IPTV operator LG U+, Nigel Baptiste, director of partner engagement at Netflix, said that he could not “go into the specifics of what the deals are with our partners,” but the goal was to help “everyone in the ecosystem benefit.”

    The team did reassure users that subscription fees will not rise anytime soon in Korea.

    “We did increase prices in the U.S. … but we don’t have plans to do so right now [in Korea],” said the vice president of Asia-Pacific communications, Jessica Lee.

    Netflix is planning to release several new series in Korea this year – the first seasons of “Love Alarm,” “My First First Love,” “School Nurse Ahn Eun Young” and the second season of “Busted!”

    Mobile app research company WiseApp reported that some 900,000 Koreans used the Netflix mobile app on Android phones alone last September.

  • Imported vehicle sales in Korea up nearly 10% in 2018

    Imported vehicle sales in Korea up nearly 10% in 2018

    The value of imported vehicles sold in Korea last year jumped 9.9 percent to 17.47 trillion won ($15.49 billion) from a year earlier on demand for German models, industry data showed Thursday. In 2018, imported carmakers sold a combined 260,705 vehicles in Asia’s fourth-biggest economy, up 12 percent from the previous year, the latest findings showed.

    According to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (Kaida), strong demand for vehicles made by Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Volkswagen pushed up sales numbers.

    Imported auto brands accounted for a record 16.7 percent of all vehicles sold and registered in the domestic passenger car market for 2018, up from 15.23 percent in the previous year, Kaida said.

  • Unison Capital could bag US$442 million for Gong Cha deal

    Unison Capital could bag US$442 million for Gong Cha deal

    South Korean private equity firm Unison Capital is selling its Gong Cha bubble tea franchise in a deal likely to fetch up to US$442 million. The company purchased the brand four years ago for KRW34 billion ($30 million), before taking over its global headquarters in Taiwan in a KRW40 billion ($35.45 million) deal in 2017. The brand’s HQ operates stores in 16 countries.

    The offer has attracted interest from major South Korean F&B players, considering the brand’s stable cash flows and EBITDA margin of 24–25 per cent, compared with Starbucks’ 21 per cent.

    The brand runs 448 outlets within South Korea, and derives 70 per cent of its sales from directly managed stores within Korea and Japan. The firm plans to expand its global store count from 900 to 1700 by 2021, expanding into 10 more countries during the period – with concrete plans to establish stores in the UK, Mexico, Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia.

    Sales are forecast at KRW180 billion ($159.54 million) this year, compared to KRW134 billion ($118.77 million) last year.

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  • Kia Motors Niro wins Car of the Year from U.K. magazine

    Kia Motors Niro wins Car of the Year from U.K. magazine

    Kia Motors said Thursday its Niro electric vehicle has won British consumer magazine and website What Car?’s Car of the Year Award. Kia said the model received high scores for its long range and reasonable price. The Niro also won the Electric Car of the Year.

    This year’s What Car? awards were given to 25 models in various categories.

    Kia and its larger affiliate Hyundai Motor have won a total of nine What Car? awards this year, the companies said in a statement.

    Kia’s Picanto was named the best City Car of the Year, with its Cee’d compact winning the best Family Car for less than ￡20,000. Kia’s Stinger fastback sports sedan received the best Performance Car for less than ￡50,000. Hyundai said its Ioniq passenger car was given the Hybrid Car of the Year Award.

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  • Amorepacific’s eSpoir sets foot in Thailand

    Amorepacific’s eSpoir sets foot in Thailand

    Amorepacific-owned makeup brand eSpoir has launched in Thailand via cosmetics retailer chain Eveandboy. Nearly 130 eSpoir products are available at Eveandboy stores at Siam Square One shopping mall and at Terminal 21 near Asoke Station. The highest-profile eSpoir products include Dewy Face Glow moisturiser with hyaluronic acid, No Wear Lipstick, and Pro Tailor Foundation Be Silk / Be Glow.

    The South Korean brand will launch in eight more Eveandboy stores and an online mall to build a strong presence in the Thailand beauty market and expand channels.

    Amorepacific says it plans further expansion into other Asean countries.

    “We are pleased to be able to bring Korea’s representative makeup brand, eSpoir, to Thailand, the largest beauty market in the Asean region. The launch of eSpoir will surely strengthen our brand portfolio in Thailand and drive further growth,” said Choi Woong, Amorepacific Thailand GM.

    The group will diversify its brand portfolio spanning skincare and makeup for its sustainable growth in Thailand.

    Other brands available in Thailand including Sulwhasoo, Laneige, Mamonde, Innisfree and Etude House.
    Founded in 1945, Amorepacific sells more than 20 cosmetics, personal care, and health care brands in Asia, North America, and Europe.

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  • Lotte to pursue reforms and investment in 2019

    Lotte to pursue reforms and investment in 2019

    Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin told affiliate CEOs that he wants reform and aggressive investment in 2019 during a biannual meeting on Wednesday. Shin missed the last meeting in July as he was serving time in prison for bribery related to former President Park Geun-hye. The first meeting of the year typically deals with each affiliate’s annual goals and direction.

    In the first meeting with CEOs after his return, the chairman emphasized that the company was in need of innovation strong enough to rattle its existing business structure.

    “We are about to face immense change in the future that is difficult to imagine,” he stressed to affiliate heads at the meeting. “Therefore we have to be thorough in predicting the future and devising preparations according to different scenarios. If we can’t come up with a clear vision or concrete plans, there will be an immense crisis.”

    Shin pointed out that the group had been “passive” recently when it comes to making investment decisions, missing opportunities and waiting for too long.

    He added that investment decisions have to be made continuously, even when revenue is low and in businesses that the company is doing well in so as to maintain an upper hand in the market.

    He also mentioned the possibility of downsizing unprofitable businesses, citing Microsoft becoming global No. 1 by market cap last year after conducting reforms on its business portfolio.

    “We should focus on areas with future growth potential and push for rationalization,” said Shin.

    Digital transformation, an initiative he has been pushing for in the last few years, also reappeared in Wednesday’s speech.

    “Compared to global companies, Lotte has a low investment rate in the IT sector and the fields invested in so far are [relatively] narrow,” he said, urging that the company needs to find ways to get one step closer to customers using existing assets like big data, brick-and-mortar stores and logistics infrastructure.

    Recently recruited IT professionals were also called into the meeting to share their opinions on Lotte’s current situation regarding digitalization and areas that can be improved.

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  • BMW Korea announces recall of 99,000 additional vehicles

    BMW Korea announces recall of 99,000 additional vehicles

    BMW on Wednesday announced another recall of an additional 99,000 vehicles, with 20,000 of them recalled immediately on concerns of engine fires. The remaining 79,000 will be recalled if replacement parts are found to be faulty. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Wednesday announced that it has told the German carmaker to follow up with a recall plan that it submitted last week.

    The recall plan followed the investigation results announced by a joint investigation team on Dec. 24 in regard to BMW vehicle catching fire in Korea.

    The investigation team at the time announced that the fires were not only caused by the emission reduction system, or exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, but also by the intake manifold.

    The 20,363 vehicles that were in the first recall in July last year will be the first in line to be re-recalled, this time to check the intake manifold.

    These are vehicles with EGR modules that have not been replaced.

    The government said it will also inspect 80,000 BMWs to see if they have any leakage problems.

    Last year, BMW recalled 106,000 vehicles after they began bursting into flames last summer.

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  • Lotte Mart’s distribution fees scrutinized

    Lotte Mart’s distribution fees scrutinized

    Korea’s antitrust body is examining the practice of retailers unfairly shifting distribution costs to their suppliers. The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has started evaluation proceedings against Lotte Mart for transferring this burden and charging an onward transportation fee after a product has been delivered. The regulator could fine the retailer 400 billion won ($353.92 million) if it is found to have violated the law. It has the authority to prosecute and punish companies that contravene the Fair Trade Act and other statutes related to anti-competitive practices.

    The FTC’s Distribution Division, which monitors the activities of retailers, submitted an evaluation report, equivalent to a prosecutor’s indictment, to the commission early last month. The document outlined Lotte Mart’s infractions over five years.

    Lotte Mart has until early February to respond.

    This will be the first time the FTC has taken action against a company for shifting distribution costs to suppliers. Lotte Mart’s practice of transferring the costs, commonly known as post-distribution costs, is widespread.

    The action comes amid FTC Chairman Kim Sang-jo’s drive to root out unfair practices in the retail industry.

    Lotte Mart’s shifting of post-distribution cost to suppliers is likely to have far-reaching implications in the industry as the practice is common.

    “When signing a contract, there are requests to supply products at a price three to five percent lower than the actual price to account for the post-distribution costs,” explained Mr. Lee, who operates a company that supplies to retail stores. “It’s not just Lotte. It is common for large retail stores such as Emart, Homeplus, department stores, convenience stores and even e-commerce companies, such as Coupang.”

    The 400 billion won fine, if charged, would be an unprecedented amount. If other companies are fined, the total sum could rise to the trillions.

    “Unlike sales promotion fees, distribution costs have to be paid,” said Mr. Kim, the president of a large food company. “We struggled as it’s impossible to know the exact figure, but the FTC took on this matter for the first time.”

    From the FTC’s perspective, large retail stores use distribution centers for their own benefit, and it is unfair to force suppliers to take on costs incurred after products are delivered to the centers.

    “Suppliers that just want to deliver to distribution centers are forced to deliver to branches,” explained a senior FTC official. “If the final delivery destination is a branch store, the supplier should be able to manage their products as they want at the distribution center, but that is not the case.”

    “From a common-sense perspective, distribution costs apply only until the delivery location, not costs after the delivery,” the official added.

    Other experts disagree with the FTC’s assessment.

    “If the retailer and supplier haven’t agreed on the location of the delivery, the supplier burdening the delivery cost abides by civil law,” said Lee Ho-young, a law professor who specializes antitrust law at Hanyang University.

    Lotte is going all out on its defense, hiring Kim & Chang’s fair-trade team to represent it.

    “In the past, when there weren’t distribution centers, suppliers used to be burdened with the distribution costs,” said a Lotte Mart official. “Post-distribution costs are paid after distribution centers were established.”

    The FTC is looking into other cases.

    “The retail business cannot work if post-distribution costs are shifted to retailers,” said an executive at a large retail company who is in charge of fair trade matters.

    The FTC could make a final decision as early as March.

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  • Naver says it’s not interested in opening an internet bank

    Naver says it’s not interested in opening an internet bank

    Naver said Monday that it has no plans to launch an internet-only bank, shutting down rumors that the IT giant might open the country’s third such bank after K bank and Kakao Bank. “Although we have reviewed [joining] the internet-only bank business, we decided against it and will not attend the information session regarding internet-only bank licenses on Wednesday,” said a Naver spokesperson.

    “This is the decision we made after giving a lot of thought into whether Naver can be competitive when the domestic internet-banking environment is already so well established and existing internet-only banks K Bank and Kakao Bank are doing well.”

    The announcement comes as a surprise to the industry as Naver has been hailed as one of the likeliest candidates to qualify for a banking permit. Last month, financial authorities announced that they would grant internet-only bank licenses to up to two companies this May in an effort to boost competition in the banking industry. The information session, organized by the Financial Supervisory Service and Financial Services Commission, comes as part of the government’s effort to facilitate the application process.

    Despite government initiatives, however, no major company has yet to directly express an intention to apply for a bank license.

    Game developer NHN Entertainment and booking and shopping platform Interpark – which led a failed effort to apply for a permit in 2015 – have also said they don’t plan on pursuing internet-only banks.

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