한국을 ‘아시아 금융허브’로 키우겠다는 정부의 꿈이 또 한차례 멀어지게 됐다. 한국거래소가 개발에 나섰던 주요 아시아 증시의 대표 종목을 담은 ‘아시아 공동 지수’(Asia Index)가 사실상 무산됐기 때문이다. 1일 코리아헤럴드 취재 결과 한국거래소는 한국과 일본, 중국, 홍콩, 대만 등에 위치한 거래소와 협력해 각국 대표 우량주(株)를 담은 지수를 개발하려고 했다. 하지만 복수의 관계자에 따르면 각국의 시장 경제규모, 자본시장 성숙도, 규제 환경 등의 차이로 이미 해당 사업은 손을 놓은 상태인 것으로 밝혀졌다. 한 관계자는 “미국의 S&P 500, 유럽의 유로스톡스 50과 같은 아시아 대표 지수를 만들 계획이었다. 하지만 이미 내부적으로 관련 이야기가 나오고 얼마 지나지 않은 초기 단계에서 바로 ...

South Korea’s drive to launch the first pan-Asian benchmark comprising major blue chip stocks in the region appears to have fallen apart, thanks to political differences and a lack of interest from larger markets. The project, led by the nation’s bourse operator Korea Exchange (KRX), was designed to attract more foreign capital in the stock market, and was hoped to be a precursor of becoming a n...

South Korean stocks dipped about 2 percent Monday, amid renewed fears over the coronavirus outbreak promoted by a resurgence in new confirmed cases over the weekend. The Korean won continued to rise against the US dollar. The nation’s main bourse Kospi opened sharply lower at 2,105.54 -- down 29.11 points, or 1.36 percent, from the previous session’s close. The index continued to move downward t...

South Korea’s National Pension Service sold 1.09 million shares in the nation’s leading hospitality and duty-free operator Hotel Shilla in the second quarter, a filing showed Sunday. As of Wednesday, NPS was holding 9.73 percent voting rights in the hotel and resort unit of Samsung, down 2.74 percentage points from March 31, with 12.47 percent. From April 1 to June 24, the pension fund sold Hot...

The impact of US shareholders has grown on South Korea’s stock market, as they expand investments in large-cap stocks, according to the latest data Sunday. In a survey of shareholders from the US and China with more than 5 percent ownership in the local stock market, investors from the US marked nearly 27.71 trillion won ($23.02 billion) as of June 22, up 52.7 percent, or 18.15 trillion won from...

National Tax Service Commissioner Kim Hyun-jun (center) poses with actor Lee Seo-jin (left) and singer-actor IU, who were appointed as PR ambassadors of the tax agency in Seoul on Wednesday. The two actors, known as model taxpayers, received presidential citations in March for dutifully paying taxes. Lee said while accepting NTS’ honorary role that honest tax payment is the least donation he can ...

Turning Seoul into a new financial hub in Asia has for long been a campaign promise of local politicians cutting across party lines. Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, who is now in his third term, is no exception. He had even announced plans to replace old apartment buildings with high-rises of up to 50 stories and create more parks and leisure spaces to reinvigorate the city’s financial district Yeoui...

South Korean drug developer SK Biopharmaceuticals is likely to get an early admission to join the Kospi 200 -- a basket of top 200 blue-chip stocks of the nation’s benchmark index Kospi -- possibly only two months after its planned market debut in July, according to local analysts Monday. If a newly listed stock’s market cap reaches the top 50 in the market, the firm’s stock is qualified to join...

The nation’s sole bourse operator announced Friday that it has decided to examine SillaJen’s listing eligibility. “We are set to decide whether to delist SillaJen or give it some more time for improvement after reviewing for 15 trading sessions,” said an official of Korea Exchange (KRX). “If the firm submits its improvement plan within the period, our review will be delayed by another 20 tradin...

South Korean auto financing firm Hyundai Capital said Thursday that it has issued three-year Swiss franc-denominated green bonds worth 300 million francs ($316 million). The bonds are being issued by the subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group for the automaker’s lease financing programs on its green car lineup. It is the firm’s third overseas green bond issuance since 2016. A green bond is specific...

Despite their continued selling spree of local stocks, foreign investors have grabbed 427 billion won ($351.4 million) worth shares of local biopharmaceutical firm Celltrion’s key affiliates, according to stock market data Thursday. The Korea Exchange noted that between June 1-17, Celltrion became the most purchased stock by offshore investors here, with net purchase of 291.1 billion won. Cellt...

In addition to serving free coffee and cakes, the space also holds wine, photography and meditation classes for customers. Potential customers can also visit Culture Salon by registering online, the company said, adding that they will also be offered free coffee and pastries. “We hope to share our new corporate values by inviting customers to Cultural Salon,” said Lim Gye-hyun, head of the corp...

Hyundai Card said Tuesday it has forged a partnership with Starbucks Korea to launch a private label credit card in the second half of this year. The local credit card issuer will be in charge of marketing and operations. PLCC refers to a store-branded credit card -- applicable for either retail or wholesale manufacturers, such as department and specialty stores -- allowing users to enjoy all r...

South Korea’s biggest real estate asset management firm IGIS Asset Management said Monday it has launched a new office in Singapore as part of its global expansion. The new branch, IGIS Asia, is the company’s third overseas base. It opened IGIS USA in New York and a London office last year. The company said it plans to expand its presence in Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific region by acquiring o...

Many Korean investors still strongly believe that real estate investment will bring higher returns than any other financial product. About 75 percent of the nation’s household assets are real estate, while the average for developed nations was below 50 percent. On top of the high value on real estate, some Koreans often experience acute cash flow problems as they choose traditional bank accounts...