Korea’s premier defense and space contractor Hanwha Aerospace has begun assembling a reusable rocket technology demonstrator, marking a critical step toward developing vertically landing launch vehicles similar to SpaceX’s Falcon 9. Hanwha Aerospace said Wednesday that it started full assembly of the demonstrator as part of a project led by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), with Vitzro Nextech and Hanyang ENG also participating. The project aims to complete technology demonstrations by 2028, including a vertical takeoff and landing flight test designed to verify core technologies needed for reusable launch vehicles. The demonstrator stands 12.2 meters tall and 1.5 meters in diameter and is designed to carry one staged-combustion cycle turbopump engine. During a planned 2028 flight test, the vehicle is expected to rise vertically to an altitude of 500 meters within about 90 seconds before returning for a controlled vertical landing. Hanwha Aerospace said the test will focus on technologies including engine thrust control, attitude control and guidance, all considered essen
Read full articleCiti has supported Hana Bank’s first $100 million digital bond issuance on Euroclear’s Digital Financial Market Infrastructure (D-FMI) platform, serving as issuing and paying agent, the global lender said Wednesday. The transaction marked the first time a Korean bank issued a foreign-currency bond on the platform and settled it on the same day, known as T+0 settlement, according to Citi. The bond also became the first digital bond listed on the Singapore Exchange. Citi coordinated issuance, settlement and delivery of the digitally native notes (DNN) to the dealer for distribution to investors through Euroclear’s settlement bank. The deal adds to Citi’s digital debt business. The lender said it has acted as issuing and paying agent for most transactions completed to date on Euroclear’s D-FMI platform. “Citi’s role in Hana Bank’s landmark issuance reflects the commercial scale we are building in digital debt markets, having supported similar transactions across diverse issuers and markets globally,” said Dirk Jones, head of Issuer Services at Citi Services. “This is a f
Hana Financial Group and the Small Enterprise & Market Service (SEMAS) have launched a joint project to support young owners of small businesses, the financial group said Wednesday. The project, dubbed "Hana On, Youth On," involves 15 teams of young small business owners from across the country. The teams will develop and carry out joint projects aimed at attracting customers and promoting local commercial districts. Hana Financial and SEMAS held a launch event Tuesday in Daejeon, attended by Hana Financial Chairman Ham Young-joo, SEMAS President In Tae-yeon and about 100 self-employed individuals taking part in the project. The initiative follows a memorandum of understanding signed by the two organizations in June to support young entrepreneurs and regional commercial districts. The participating teams will organize joint events and promotional campaigns, improve their business areas and develop other projects based on the needs of their respective local communities. Hana Financial and SEMAS will provide funding, expert consulting and tailored financial support. The project focuses on su
The head of Dunamu, Korea's largest virtual asset exchange, said Wednesday his company hopes to connect the country's finances with the global on-chain system, mentioning the comprehensive equity exchange with portal operator Naver Corp. as part of the company's global expansion strategy. Oh Kyoung-suk, chief executive officer (CEO) of Dunamu Inc., made the remarks at the Korea Blockchain Week 2026, an international industry event that kicked off its two-day run in Seoul, adding that connecting Korea with the global market is the company's "next task." "We plan to build a common infrastructure where various financial players can participate," he said. "If the country secures accessibility, connectivity and export possibility (in the digital asset space) it could leap into an important financial hub." To attain such a goal, Oh said his company will start with connecting the Web 3 financial infrastructure with the Web 2 consumer payment platform, possibly referring to Naver Financial Corp., which operates the payment service Naver Pay. Dunamu and Naver Financial decided to merge last year
HS Hyosung Advanced Materials will invest $100 million to build a new carpet manufacturing plant in Vietnam, seeking to expand its presence in the global carpet and yarn markets. The company held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday at the Tam Thang Industrial Park in Da Nang, Vietnam, for the new facility. The company plans to add 110,000 square meters of land to its existing Quang Nam site, bringing the total area to 500,000 square meters. The site currently houses tire cord and airbag production facilities. The new plant is scheduled to be completed by 2029 and will produce bulk continuous filament (BCF) yarn and carpets for automobiles and commercial buildings. The expansion will significantly increase HS Hyosung Advanced Materials' production capacity in Vietnam and strengthen its competitiveness in the global mobility materials market, the company said. The new facility will establish an integrated yarn-to-carpet production system, covering the entire process from raw material imports and BCF yarn production to processing, tufting, backing and laminating. The company said the integrated
Lotte Group is carrying out a range of practical measures to promote mutual growth with its partner companies. The group helps ease smaller partners’ financial burden by making payments for supplied goods ahead of major holidays, while supporting their overseas expansion through brand expo events. According to Lotte, the group has been making early payments to partner companies ahead of Korea’s major holidays every year since 2013, as expenses such as employee bonuses and payments for raw materials tend to pile up before the holidays. Before this year’s Chuseok holiday last week, Lotte paid 949.5 billion won ($701 million) to over 12,000 partner companies an average of eight days earlier than scheduled. Twenty-seven Lotte companies participated in the program, including Lotte Department Store, Lotte E&C, Lotte Global Logistics and Lotte Mart. Along with early payments, Lotte has been operating various programs to support partner firms’ sustainable growth. Lotte operates a 1 trillion won Shared Growth Fund to help reduce their interest burden on loans. The group also introduced Sh
MoneyHero Limited is facing a public push from its largest unaffiliated shareholder to consider a sale, as the Singapore-based personal finance platform contends with leadership uncertainty, stalled revenue growth and a sharp fall in its Nasdaq-listed shares. Jonathan Honig, who says he beneficially owns about 9 per cent of MoneyHero’s outstanding Class A ordinary shares, […] The post MoneyHero shareholder urges board to explore sale after stock slump appeared first on e27.
The Galaxy S26 series will receive the update first, bringing new Galaxy AI tools alongside other quality-of-life improvements.
Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) CEO Anuar Fariz Fadzil will leave the national digital-economy agency when his current contract ends on 2 October 2026, closing a two-year tenure marked by a sharper focus on artificial intelligence, high-value investment and measurable economic outcomes. MDEC said in a statement that Anuar had informed its board he would […] The post MDEC chief Anuar Fariz Fadzil to exit after US$44B investment push appeared first on e27.
Japan’s education companies are increasingly looking beyond a home market shaped by a shrinking population. Kawaijuku, one of the country’s larger private education providers, is taking a venture-capital route into Vietnam. KJ Holdings, the holding company of the Japanese education group, has invested in Do Ventures Fund II, a fund managed by Ho Chi Minh […] The post Japan’s Kawaijuku backs Do Ventures to enter Vietnam’s education market appeared first on e27.
Bitcoin shifts from a speculative retail asset to an institutional cornerstone of global finance. Recent developments in sovereign wealth fund allocations, the creation of institutional financial products, and massive ETF inflows demonstrate a profound structural shift. The data reveals a market maturing rapidly, even as it grapples with inherent tensions between traditional financial co-option and […] The post The sovereign shift: Why nation states are trading gold for Bitcoin appeared first on e27.
Consumer brands across Southeast Asia and global e-commerce hubs face an unforgiving mathematical reality in their paid media accounts. Customer acquisition costs across Meta, TikTok, and Google climbed between 60 and 80 per cent over the past 18 months, while the conversion efficiency of traditional influencer sponsorships collapsed. For years, marketing teams wired guaranteed upfront […] The post Why social commerce seeding is replacing upfront influencer retainers appeared first on e27.
CPF Ordinary Account pays 2.5 per cent, and Singaporeans queue for Treasury bills when yields rise. So when anyone quotes a 20 per cent annual percentage yield on stablecoins, a sensible person should ask one question first: who is paying it, and why? I ask because I once paid for not asking. In 2022, I […] The post A 20% stablecoin APY may be less magical than it sounds appeared first on e27.