The Korea Herald

BOK not mulling further rate cut over coronavirus: official

EconomyJan 30, 2020

The nation’s central bank is not considering additional rate cuts to counter the potential impact of the Wuhan coronavirus on the Korean economy, a senior official said Thursday. “We need to keep mo...
Investments in Korean startups hit record high

MarketsJan 30, 2020

The startup market here saw record investments of 4.28 trillion won ($3.61 billion) last year, according to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups on Thursday. The figure was up from 2.38 trillion won in...
Median apartment price in Seoul jumps 50% under Moon govt

MarketsJan 30, 2020

The median price of apartments in Seoul surpassed the 900 million won ($760,000) threshold in January for the first time, according to commercial bank KB Kookmin Bank on Thursday. The bank’s monthly...
S. Korea enjoys trade surplus of $71.5b with FTA partners

EconomyJan 30, 2020

South Korea enjoyed a surplus of $71.5 billion in trade with free trade agreement partners in 2019, data showed Thursday. The country suffered a deficit of $32.4 billion from trade with non-FTA part...
Banks' lending rates slightly up in Dec.

EconomyJan 30, 2020

Lending rates on fresh loans extended by banks in South Korea slightly rebounded in December from a month earlier, central bank data showed Thursday. The average interest rate on all new loans exten...
[News Focus] North Korean defectors see household debt surge

EconomyJan 30, 2020

Refugees’ debt grows faster than average household debt of South Koreans
FSC vows to beef up risk assessment for financial firms

EconomyJan 29, 2020

Eun Seong-soo, chairman of the Financial Services Commission, said Wednesday that the financial regulator will come up with measures to monitor risks of financial conglomerates in a comprehensive man...
[KH Explains] TRS, leverage scheme behind hedge fund debacle in Korea

MarketsJan 29, 2020

The recent brouhaha surrounding hedge fund company Lime Asset Management is stoking concerns about a potential liquidity crunch across the financial market in South Korea. At the heart of the contro...
Fear of coronavirus spreads to Korea’s commercial banks

MoneyJan 29, 2020

From face masks to thermometers, banks take precautions for local customers, mull contingency plans for overseas operations
IBK chief takes office, ending 27 days of labor protests

MoneyJan 29, 2020

This marks the longest period that a CEO of a financial institution has been unable to enter his office. KB Kookmin Bank’s former CEO Lee Kun-ho was obstructed for 14 consecutive days upon his appoin...
Korea's trade terms again dip in Dec.

EconomyJan 29, 2020

South Korea's trade terms continued to worsen from a year earlier in December, largely due to export prices falling at a faster rate than import prices, but the rate of decline in export prices slowe...
Biz sentiment remains weak: survey

EconomyJan 29, 2020

Business sentiment about the immediate future in South Korea remains weak due to uncertainties at home and abroad, a local think tank said Wednesday. The business survey index of the country's top 6...
Brexit not to affect bilateral trade ties with S. Korea

EconomyJan 29, 2020

Britain's separation from the European Union slated for later this week is unlikely to have a direct impact on its bilateral trade ties with South Korea, as the two have already signed a back-up agre...
Korea's January exports tipped to fall 7.5%: poll

EconomyJan 29, 2020

South Korea's exports are expected to drop 7.5 percent on-year in January to extend their slump to 14 consecutive months despite a mild recovery in chip shipments, a poll showed Wednesday, due mainly...
S. Korea's consumer sentiment sharply improves for Jan.

EconomyJan 29, 2020

South Korea's consumer sentiment improved sharply from a month earlier in January, central bank data showed Wednesday, amid outlooks that the country's economic conditions will improve down the road....