Hanwha Ocean to Inject 164.5 Billion Won Into U.S. Subsidiary via Rights Offering Hanwha Ocean is expanding overseas investment by injecting new capital into its U.S. subsidiary. The company said Thursday that its subsidiary Hanwha Ocean USA Holdings decided on a paid-in capital increase worth about 164.5 billion won to secure funds for investment, according to a regulatory filing. The offering will be conducted as a rights issue. Hanwha Ocean, which owns 100% of the unit, will subscribe to all newly issued shares, meaning the parent will provide the funds directly w March 19, 2026

HMM Office Workers Union Calls Busan Headquarters Move Rushed, Plans Rally Near Blue House HMM’s office workers union has continued rallies outside the company’s Yeouido headquarters, reiterating opposition to a planned relocation of the headquarters to Busan. The HMM branch of the National Office and Financial Services Union said it held a second rally March 16, following an all-member rally March 11, calling for a halt to what it described as a rushed move and for guarantees of autonomous management at a private company. According to the industry on March 19, the union’s stat March 19, 2026

Hanwha Aerospace’s Arion-SMET Unmanned Vehicle Passes South Korean Defense Performance Test Hanwha Aerospace said on the 19th that its multipurpose unmanned vehicle, the Arion-SMET, has completed a Defense Acquisition Program Administration performance verification test as the sole participant. The vehicle is a key asset in the South Korean Army’s future force concept known as “Army Tiger 4.0.” The evaluation, conducted with full-scale equipment from the 3rd for about three weeks, assessed six items including top speed and operating range. The test was designed to compare the pe March 19, 2026

Why South Korea’s Internet Banks Sat Out Bank of Korea’s ‘Project Hangang’ CBDC Test As the Bank of Korea moves ahead with the second phase of its central bank digital currency experiment, known as “Project Hangang,” attention is turning to why South Korea’s internet-only banks are not taking part. Industry officials cite weak profitability, high upfront costs and limited interoperability as key factors that reduced incentives to join. According to the financial sector on Thursday, the country’s three internet banks did not express an intention to participate in the seco March 19, 2026

POSCO, Hyundai Steel unions urge relief on power and carbon costs, warn of industry crisis "South Korea’s steel industry is standing on the edge of a cliff. This is not a simple downturn. It is a national industrial security emergency." Labor unions at POSCO and Hyundai Steel held a joint news conference March 19 at the National Assembly press center, urging the government to ease the burden of industrial electricity rates and carbon-related costs. The unions called for measures including relief on industrial power bills, improvements to the carbon emissions-permit sy March 19, 2026

Shinhan Leads Overseas Profit as KB Improves; Woori, Hana Slide Shinhan Bank and KB Kookmin Bank posted solid results across most overseas units, while Hana Bank and Woori Bank saw weaker performance as losses widened at key subsidiaries, the financial industry said. Results diverged sharply by market — including China, Europe and Southeast Asia — shaping winners and losers among the major lenders. According to the financial sector on the 19th, Shinhan’s 10 overseas subsidiaries posted a combined net profit of 586.9 billion won last year, the highes March 19, 2026

KAI Names Defense Expert Kim Jong-chul CEO, Pledges 'One Team' Push Korea Aerospace Industries, or KAI, said it held an inauguration ceremony Thursday at its headquarters in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang province, formally appointing Kim Jong-chul as its ninth CEO. His official term is three years. KAI described Kim, a 31st class graduate of the Air Force Academy, as a defense industry expert who has held key posts in the Air Force and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. While working at the Defense Ministry, Kim conducted cost analyses for the KT March 19, 2026

Woori Bank to Offer 200 Billion Won in Online Credit Lines for Seoul Small Businesses Woori Bank said on March 19 it signed an agreement with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Credit Guarantee Foundation to support 200 billion won in guaranteed overdraft loans under the “Seoul-style Small Business Relief Account No. 3” program. The program is part of Seoul’s “Small Business Support Project.” It aims to quickly provide online overdraft credit lines of up to 10 million won to small business owners facing heavier operating burdens amid high interest rates and a March 19, 2026

Open Innovation Becomes Key Model Behind South Korea’s Homegrown Drug Development Open innovation is taking hold as a strategy to improve the efficiency of new drug development, as companies seek to share risk and speed commercialization in an industry that requires heavy spending and long timelines. Industry officials said March 19 that partnerships between pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms are expanding. Drugmakers can reduce research burdens by bringing in outside technology, while biotech startups gain funding and clinical development support. A leading e March 19, 2026

Study: Poor Gum Health May Raise Risk of Esophageal, Colorectal Cancer Periodontal disease is among South Korea’s most common conditions. National Health Insurance Service data show that, as of 2024, more than 19.5 million people received treatment for periodontal disease, with covered costs totaling about 2.3 trillion won. Against that backdrop, researchers presented findings suggesting that poorer gum health may be linked to a higher risk of certain cancers. Experts note that because the mouth is directly connected to the digestive tract, inflammation fro March 19, 2026