Finance

iM Financial first-half net profit 295.6 billion won down 4.4 percent

iM Financial Group posted 295.6 billion won in net profit attributable to controlling shareholders in the first half of this year, down 4.4 percent from a year earlier. Total operating profit rose 4.4 percent to 1.11 trillion won, supported by growth in corporate lending at iM Bank and operating assets at iM Capital. Net profit fell due to a change in the education tax rate and higher provisioning.

Mobility

China and Thailand lead EV war as Japan and U.S. lag, analysis says

China and Thailand are moving ahead in reshaping the global auto industry by using domestic electric vehicle rollout policies to build export competitiveness, an analysis said. The key is the pace of electrification at home rather than export results alone. China’s plans target a sharp rise in new energy vehicles on its roads, supporting scale, learning effects and supply chains. Thailand is adjusting incentives toward export compensation as it becomes an EV export base.