Most Popular
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Hyundai Motor eyes 80,000 jobs, W68tr investment at home by 2026
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Korea enters full election mode
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Seoul bus drivers go on general strike, cause morning rush hour delays
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Immigrant woman stabbed to death by Korean husband
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Official campaigning kicks off for April 10 elections
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Dialogue hopes fade as doctors pick hard-liner as new head
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Coupang pledges W3tr to expand Rocket Delivery nationwide by 2027
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[Election Battlefield] Political novice to face off star politician in ‘swing district’
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Court upholds jail term for man who attempted to murder ex-girlfriend
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S. Korea to boost support for single-parent families
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Kospi dips below 2,600 amid stagflation fears
The benchmark Kospi hit a 17-month low on Tuesday on persistent market concerns over runaway inflation and sluggish growth despite President Yoon Suk-yeol’s optimistic economic outlook at his inauguration. The Kospi closed at 2596.56, the lowest level since Nov. 30, 2020, when it reached 2,591.34. Global efforts to tighten monetary policy, which the US kicked off last week with its biggest rate hike in 22 years to set the range between 0.75 percent and 1 percent, unsettled investors. A f
May 10, 2022
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Seoul shares extend losing streak to 6th session on recession woes; Korean won hits over 2-yr low
The South Korean stock market fell for the sixth consecutive day Tuesday to hit a 17-month low, as investors fretted about high inflation and a global economic slowdown amid the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and China's lockdown of major cities over COVID-19. The local currency hit its lowest point against the US dollar in more than two years. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 14.25 points, or 0.55 percent, to close at 2,596.56, extending losses to the sixth session in a row. It is
May 10, 2022
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Stolen W61b paid back by government to Iran’s Dayyani
South Korea’s financial authorities recently returned over 61.4 billion won ($48.84 million) owed to Iran’s Dayyani Group, the amount that was stolen in an embezzlement scheme here between late 2012 and 2018, sources said Tuesday. The policymaking Financial Services Commission has returned most of the total 73 billion won owed to Dayyani’s consumer electronics arm, Entekhab, as compensation over the Iranian business’ failed takeover of Daewoo Electronics back in 2010.
May 10, 2022
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S. Korea's bond issuance drops in April on US tapering
Bond issuance in South Korea decreased in April from the previous month due to concerns about the US-led tapering, industry data showed Tuesday. The value of bonds sold in Asia's fourth-largest economy came to 69.8 trillion won ($54.6 billion) in April, down 900 billion won from a month ago, according to the data from the Korea Financial Investment Association. The KOFIA attributed the issuance fall to the US Federal Reserve's hawkish signal to raise the policy interest rates to rein in the high
May 10, 2022
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Seoul shares open sharply lower on inflation, recession woes
South Korean stocks opened sharply lower Tuesday, tracking an overnight crash on Wall Street, on concerns over high inflation and a global economic downturn. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 46.77 points, or 1.79 percent, to 2,564.04 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, US shares tumbled as investors remained worried about inflation and the Federal Reserve's monetary tightening, which would slow the economic recovery. The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 1.99 percent
May 10, 2022
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Seoul shares open lower on recession woes
South Korean stocks opened lower Monday on concerns over a global economic downturn amid high inflation and the prolonged shutdown of major Chinese cities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 5.32 points, or 0.20 percent, to 2,639.19 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Friday, US shares fell as investors were worried about the Federal Reserve's belt-tightening to curb inflation and the subsequent impact on the economic growth. The Dow Jones Industri
May 9, 2022
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Shinhan chief, UK minister discuss climate efforts in financial sector
Shinhan Financial Group Chairman Cho Yong-byeong met with the UK Environment Minister Zac Goldsmith and British Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks to discuss the role of the finance sector in combating climate change and biodiversity loss, the firm said Sunday. In the meeting held Friday, Goldsmith was briefed on Shinhan’s Zero-Carbon Drive, which includes the banking group’s goal to reduce carbon emissions by 46 percent in 2030 and 88 percent in 2040 in line with the landmark 2016 P
May 8, 2022
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Seoul shares open sharply lower after Fed's rate hike
South Korean stocks opened steeply lower Friday, as investors fret over an economic downturn after the US Federal Reserve raised the interest rate to tame high inflation. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 34.89 points, or 1.3 percent, to 2,642.68 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The Fed hiked the short-term rate by the widely expected 0.5 percentage point in its policy meeting Wednesday (US time). Shares in Seoul declined across the board, with market behemoth Samsung Electro
May 6, 2022
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Number of teens holding Samsung Electronics shares hits record high
The number of South Koreans who are 19 and below and hold shares in Samsung Electronics reached 358,257 in December last year, a record high, according to the Korea Securities Depository. That number accounts for 7.07 percent of all shareholders and 0.25 percent of the total shares the tech giant has issued. The shares the teenagers held at the time amounted to 1.1 trillion won ($891 million), which is equal to 971 billion at Tuesday’s closing share price. The rise in the number of teen
May 4, 2022
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Fractional investment in K-pop, art trending among young S. Koreans
Low borrowing cost during the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed millennials and Generation Z in South Korea to invest in stocks and cryptocurrencies. It was then that fractional investment platforms began to catch the eyes of the young investors, luring them with trendy items and the idea they could profit off of their pocket money. Musicow, the nation’s first music copyright trading platform that has amassed more than 1 million users as of February has become a major fractional investment pl
May 4, 2022
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Foreign reserves down in April for 2nd month on strong dollar
South Korea's foreign reserves shrank for the second straight month in April as the strong dollar resulted in a fall in converted value of non-dollar holdings and the government unloaded the greenback to defend the local currency, central bank data showed Wednesday. The country's foreign reserves stood at $449.3 billion as of end-April, down $8.51 billion from the previous month, according to the data provided by the Bank of Korea (BOK). This marked the second straight month of on-month declines
May 4, 2022
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Seoul shares end slightly down amid market uncertainty ahead of Fed meeting
South Korean stocks finished slightly lower Tuesday amid inflation woes and uncertainty over this week's US Federal Reserve meeting. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) retreated 6.99 points, or 0.26 percent, to close at 2,680.46. Trading volume was moderate at about 869 million shares worth some 9 trillion won ($7.1 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 475 to 368. Institutions sold a net 214 billion won, while foreign and reta
May 3, 2022
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Seoul shares edge higher amid market uncertainty ahead of Fed meeting
South Korean shares edged higher Tuesday, tracking a cue from overnight Wall Street gains, amid market uncertainty ahead of this week's US Federal Reserve meeting. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 0.20 points, or 0.01 percent, to trade at 2,687.65 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The Federal Reserve is widely expected to raise interest rates by half a percentage point this week, kicking off a series of aggressive rate hikes to tackle the highest inflation in decades. Overnig
May 3, 2022
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Authorities, Woori Bank missed W61b swindle despite 11 audits
South Korea’s financial authorities failed to notice a mammoth embezzlement scheme at a top bank here, in which an employee withdrew a combined 61.4 billion won ($48.84 million) from 2012 to 2018, despite carrying out 11 audits during the period, sources said Monday. Police arrested the employee surnamed Jeon, who is in his 40s, last Wednesday mere hours after Woori Bank had reported the theft. Jeon -- who had worked at Woori Bank for almost a decade -- turned himself in. The employee
May 2, 2022
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Seoul shares open sharply lower on Wall Street plunge
South Korean stocks opened sharply lower Monday, as investors here are concerned about a sharp dip on Wall Street last week that stemmed from weaker-than-expected earnings reports from market heavyweights and persistent woes over the Fed's aggressive tightening. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) fell 21.35 points, or 0.79 percent, to trade at 2,673.7 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Friday, the tech-heavy Nasdaq tumbled 4.17 percent on investors' fears about the tightening US m
May 2, 2022
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NTS hosts in-house video contest to help public understand tax
National Tax Service has hosted an in-house video contest in which contestants submitted short clips designed to help people understand complicated tax procedures, officials said Friday. The contest was held to make the agency’s digital tax service more user-friendly for those unfamiliar with online services. In videos one to five minutes long, NTS officials introduced key services such as, income tax, corporate tax, and year-end tax adjustment. The winning videos can be watched on the
April 29, 2022
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S. Korea ready to take measures to stem won's sharp fall
South Korea plans to take steps to curb the Korean currency's "excessive" fall against the US dollar, a senior government official said Friday. First Vice Finance Minister Lee Eog-weon also dismissed the possibility of a sharp outflow of foreign capital, citing the country's strong economic fundamentals. "Volatility in the won-dollar exchange rate has amplified amid fears about the Federal Reserve's aggressive rate hikes and economic growth concerns due to China's COVID-19 lockdow
April 29, 2022
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Seoul shares open higher on Wall Street gains
South Korean stocks got off to a strong start Friday, tracking an overnight rally on Wall Street fueled by upbeat earnings from major technology companies. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 16.43 points, or 0.62 percent, to trade at 2,683.92 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Estimate-topping results by Apple Inc. and Qualcomm Inc. sent their stocks higher, helping the key US indexes erase recent losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.85 percent and the tech-heavy Nasd
April 29, 2022
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Home transactions sink 47.6% in March on lending curbs
Home transactions in South Korea plunged 47.6 percent on-year in March on the government's tough lending curbs and rising interest rates, data showed Friday. The number of homes changing hands nationwide stood at 43,179 units last month, compared with 102,109 deals made a year ago, according to the data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The March figure also marked a 38.2 percent decrease compared with the average transactions logged over the past five years. The number of
April 29, 2022
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Seoul shares open slightly higher amid Fed rate hike woes
South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Thursday as worries about an economic slowdown from the US Federal Reserve's widely expected interest rate hikes sapped investor appetite despite reports of sound corporate earnings this week. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 9.57 points, or 0.36 percent to trade at 2,648.63 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Shares traded mixed across the board. Market heavyweight Samsung Electronics was up 0.15 percent to 65,100 won, after reportin
April 28, 2022