LG Chem Ltd., South Korea's top chemical firm, soared to a 52-week high on Thursday on solid earnings and hopes for its burgeoning battery business, industry sources said. LG Chem traded at 377,500 won ($345) on the Seoul bourse as of 10:05 a.m., up 3.14 percent from the previous session's close and becoming the seventh most valued firm on the local stock market, and bypassing Internet portal op...

The South Korean government will expand health insurance benefits for pregnant women, the government said Thursday, in an effort to better tackle the country's chronic low birthrate. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said those who had given birth in the past 60 days will be able to benefit from changes to the national health insurance policy starting next month. So far, only pregnant women hav...

South Korean stocks opened higher Thursday helped by foreign buying. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 5.52 points, or 0.23 percent, to 2,371.92 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Analysts expected the Seoul stock market to move in a tight range this week ahead of the US Federal Reserve's annual economic policy symposium in Jackson ...

Gold-related funds in South Korea have posted stellar returns over the past month, data showed Thursday, as geopolitical risks chilled the stock market and stoked investors' flight to safety. Those funds posted an average return of 3.49 percent in the month to Wednesday, the top performer among local investment funds worth 1 billion won ($880,000) or more, according to the data from financial in...

Overseas card spending by South Koreans hit a record high in the second quarter despite a decline in the number of people going overseas, the central bank said Thursday. In the April-June period, overseas card spending amounted to $4.18 billion, up 20.6 percent from a year earlier, according to the Bank of Korea. From a quarter earlier, the Q2 tally marked a 4-percent increase. Overseas card sp...

South Korea's finance chief said Wednesday that the government will examine steps to ease regulations to help offset the negative side effects of a looming corporate tax hike. Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon made the comments during a session of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts in parliament when asked about the possible fallout from more taxes on employment and growth. Still, Kim di...

Short-selling in Korean stock markets is widely vilified and picked as the culprit behind market disruption

Concerns are growing that local businesses may be compelled to move production abroad, as policies pursued by President Moon Jae-in’s government add significantly to their cost burdens. Measures taken or considered by the new administration since Moon took office in May are expected to make companies shoulder up to 40 trillion won ($35.4 billion) in additional costs next year alone, analysts say...

The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced Wednesday that the Trump administration remains committed to amending terms of the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement, following a joint committee session with Seoul and Washington on Tuesday where the two parties were unable to reach a consensus. “Ambassador Lighthizer remains focused on improving implementation of KORUS and amending o...

South Korea’s population will hit a peak in 2031, predictions by Statistics Korea showed. The number of households, meanwhile, will continue to rise until 2043 due to a rise in single-person households before starting to decline in 2043.

South Korean stocks ended higher Wednesday as foreigners increased their stock purchases that offset sell-offs by institutions. The won traded higher against the dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 1.07 points, or 0.05 percent, to close at 2,366.40. Trade volume was moderate at 225.09 million shares worth 3.918 trillion won ($3.3 billion), with losers outnumbering winner...

The billionaire founder of Naver Corp., Lee Hae-jin, has cut his stock holdings in South Korea's dominant Internet portal operator by selling 110,000 shares, a regulatory filing showed Wednesday. Lee sold his 0.33 percent stake in a block deal worth 81.8 billion won ($72.3 million), or 743,990 won per share, on Tuesday, according to the filing. Lee's stock holding in Naver was lowered to 4.31 p...

The number of newborn babies in South Korea dropped to a six-month low in June, government data showed Wednesday. About 28,900 babies were born in the month, down 12.2 percent, or 4,000, from 32,900 tallied a year earlier, according to the data from Statistics Korea. It is the second-lowest monthly figure after just 27,200 kids were born in December last year. Childbirths have been on the decl...

South Korea's household debt hit a record high in the second quarter, central bank data showed Wednesday, despite tighter lending rules meant to curb rapidly growing household debt. The country's overall debt incurred by households came to 1,388.3 trillion won ($1.22 trillion) as of end-June, up 10.4 percent from a year earlier, according to data compiled by the Bank of Korea. Household debt ro...

The South Korean bourse shed some earlier gains late Wednesday morning as institutions sold off stocks. The won rose against the dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index was up 2.71 points, or 0.11 percent, to 2,368.04 as of 11:20 a.m. Institutions sold a net 74 billion won ($65 million), outweighing net buying worth 72 billion won by foreigners and individuals. Analysts didn't ...