South Korean stocks closed higher Tuesday as investors scooped up undervalued shares after US stock indexes closed at an all-time high overnight. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 14.26 points, or 0.58 percent, to 2,464.35. Trading volume was moderate at 461 million shares worth 7.87 trillion won ($5.89 billion), with gainers outpacing losers 482 to 379. Foreigners bought shares worth 137.9 billion won, while retail investors offload

More people work at large companies in South Korea, with the number of people employed by conglomerates reaching a record high last year. According to recent data from the Korean Statistical Information Service, the number of people working at companies with over 300 employees reached an all-time high of 3,087,000 last year. This is the first time that the figure reached the 3 million milestone since the statistics agency started compiling such data in 2004. The ratio of people working at large

South Korean stocks lost ground on Monday as investors sat on the sidelines ahead of the release of fourth-quarter earnings reports. The Korean won edged up against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 8.39 points, or 0.34 percent, to 2,464.35. Trading volume was low at 376 million shares worth 8.25 trillion won ($6.1 billion), with losers outpacing gainers 575 to 295. Foreigners bought shares worth 295.3 billion won, while retail investors offloaded a net 244 bill

South Korean stocks soared more than 1.3 percent Friday as big-cap chip shares rallied following an overnight tech boost on Wall Street. The local currency edged up against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index jumped 32.70 points, or 1.34 percent, to 2,472.74. Trading volume was slim at 499.2 million shares worth 9 trillion won ($6.7 billion), with winners outpacing losers 518 to 345. Foreigners turned to net buyers with a net purchase of 683.2 billion won worth of shar

South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Thursday as investors hunted for bargains following the recent extended losses amid dimmed prospects for the US Federal Reserve's rate cuts. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 5.91 points, or 0.24 percent, to 2,441.81 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 0.25 percent lower, with the S&P 500 slipping 0.56 percent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq had decreased 0.59 percent. The stronger-

South Korean stocks plunged nearly 2.5 percent Wednesday on dampened hopes that the Federal Reserve will start cutting its rates soon and uncertainties over the Chinese economy. The local currency sharply fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 61.69 points, or 2.47 percent, to 2,435.90. Trading volume was heavy at 950.6 million shares worth 11.01 trillion won ($8.2 billion), with losers far outpacing winners 850 to 70. Foreigners and institutions dump

South Korean stocks got off to a weak start Wednesday, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street amid dampened hopes for the Federal Reserve's early rate cuts. After starting marginally higher, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 14.13 points, or 0.57 percent, to 2,483.46 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, all three major US indexes lost ground as Fed Gov. Christopher Waller's comments cooled bets on the Fed's early rate cuts. A slide in Apple and Bo

South Korean stocks slid more than 1 percent Tuesday as escalating geopolitical tensions surrounding the Korean Peninsula weakened investors' appetite for risky assets. The local currency sharply fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 28.4 points, or 1.12 percent, to 2,497.59. Trading volume was slightly heavy at 641.9 million shares worth 8.5 trillion won ($6.4 billion), with losers outpacing winners 647 to 230. Institutions and foreigners led the

LG Chem Vice Chairman and CEO Shin Hak-cheol has been named a member of the International Business Council, part of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, the Korean chemicals firm said Monday. The WEF, also known as the Davos Forum, kicked off in Switzerland on Monday and goes through Friday. It brings together thousands of leaders from business, government and various other sectors. LG Chem said that WEF Chairman Klaus Schwab invited Shin to be a member of the I

South Korean stocks opened higher Monday as chip and bio shares gained ground. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 5.86 points, or 0.23 percent, to 2,530.91 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics climbed 1.09 percent, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix rose 0.75 percent. Samsung Biologics also added 0.67 percent, and Celltrion climbed 0.66 percent. Auto shares also started in positive terrain, with Hyundai Motor up 0.22 percent and its smaller affil

South Korean stocks opened higher Tuesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 18.64 points, or 0.73 percent, to 2,586.46 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 0.58 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq jumped 2.2 percent. In Seoul, most large caps were trading higher across the board. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics gained 0.26 percent, with No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix surging 1.76 p

South Korean stocks opened higher Monday as big-cap technology shares gained ground. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 9.90 points, or 0.38 percent, to 2,587.98 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics climbed 0.91 percent, while No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix fell 0.51 percent. Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution added 0.48 percent, while its smaller rival Samsung SDI shed 0.56 percent. IT stocks were bullish, with internet portal operator Na

LG Chem said Friday it has signed an agreement with Boston-based Rhythm Pharmaceuticals to transfer the development and sales rights of a new anti-obesity drug candidate named LB54640. The deal amounts to $305 million, which includes upfront payments worth $100 million and milestone payments worth $205 million for the development and commercialization of the drug. Under the agreement, LG Chem will receive royalties depending on product sales from Rhythm Pharmaceuticals each year. Rare forms of o

Seoul shares opened lower Thursday, following an overnight slump in US stocks, after the latest Fed minutes indicated interest rates will remain at high levels for some time. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 10.97 points, or 0.42 percent, to 2,596.34 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.8 percent to 37,430.19, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq declined 1.2 percent to 14,592.21. Fed minutes from its December meeting indicated rates cou

South Korean stocks dropped by more than 2 percent Wednesday as investors sought to cash in recent gains ahead of the release of the Federal Reserve's latest minutes. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 62.50 points, or 2.34 percent, to close at 2,607.31, ending its four-day winning streak. Trade volume was moderate at 455.9 million shares worth 9.99 trillion won ($7.65 billion), with losers outpacing winners 610 to 279. Foreigners