Most Popular
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Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
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Inflation eases in April, continues bumpy ride
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Golden chance to liquidate babies’ gold rings?
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Seoul to more than double military drones by 2026 to counter NK threats
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Russia sent more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to N. Korea in March: White House
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Seoul alerts overseas missions to NK terror threats
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Over 60% of S. Koreans support W100m childbirth incentive: survey
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‘Inside Out 2’ adds four new emotions, explores teenage life
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Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
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Questions raised over fair promotion of RM, NewJeans
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IBK to begin operation in Myanmar this month
The Industrial Bank of Korea said Sunday it will officially launch and operate a local subsidiary in Yangon, the largest city of Myanmar as early as this month, which marks its third overseas unit, following its operation in China and Indonesia. Branded as IBK Bank Myanmar, its new overseas subsidiary was designed to handle various banking services, including corporate financing, personal financial management as well as foreign exchange business, officials said. Through the newly
Jan. 3, 2021
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Kospi hits another fresh high on final trading session of 2020
South Korea’s stock market ended its final trading session of the year on Wednesday, hitting another fresh high on market expectations for the chip industry. After a roller-coaster ride this year, the Kospi closed at 2,873.47, up 52.96 points or 1.88 percent from the previous session’s close. It began trading slightly lower at 2,820.36, but the index began moving in afternoon trading. Both foreign and institutional investors became buyers, scooping up a net 249 billion won ($229.
Dec. 30, 2020
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[Best Brand] Lotte Card appeals to customers with diversified benefits
Credit card provider Lotte Card has recently rolled out a new reward system that covers all of its LOCA branded credit cards. The new reward system offers convenience for credit card subscribers, as they don’t need to spend time working out which credit card offers the most benefits for each purchase. It automatically sets rewards for subscribers of one of eight LOCA credit cards. The LOCA brand consists of three LOCA plastic cards that offer general benefits, and another five, named &l
Dec. 30, 2020
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Samsung heir becomes Korea's richest man in stock value
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has become South Korea’s richest stakeholder, replacing his father’s name that held the title for decades, data showed Wednesday. The vice chairman’s stock value stood at 9.07 trillion won ($8.35 billion) as of Tuesday, nearly 2 trillion won more than last year, according to CEO Score, a local corporate researcher. Stock ownership of the 49-year-old heir to the world‘s largest chipmaker is set to grow, as he and his famil
Dec. 30, 2020
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Pandemic sinks FSC plan for 2020 Woori stake sale
A plan to sell some of the government’s stake in Woori Financial Group this year foundered due to the high market volatility triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the financial regulator said Wednesday. Earlier this year, a sub-committee of the Financial Service Commission, which controls the sale of state-owned firms and shares, said it would start selling off Korea Deposit Insurance Corp.’s stake in the bank in the first half of 2020. The plan was to sell the entire stake in
Dec. 30, 2020
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Seoul stocks open lower in final session of 2020
South Korean stocks opened lower Wednesday, the last trading session this year, as investors sought to lock in gains after the benchmark index closed at an all-time high the previous session. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 4.75 points, or 0.17 percent, to 2,815.76 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Local stocks got off to a weak start, led by financial, tech and bio losses. The KOSPI closed at a record high for a third straight day Tuesday. Market bellwether Sam
Dec. 30, 2020
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[Market Close-up] Housing price rally likely to continue next year over supply shortage
South Korea’s housing price rally, sparked by a supply shortage and tightened regulations throughout the year, is likely to continue next year, stoking concerns about housing market instability. According to KB Financial Group in a report, housing prices across the country will see an upward march overall next year while two-year rentals requiring a refundable lump-sum deposit in lieu of monthly rent, called “jeonse,” will also be more expensive. The report, based on a surve
Dec. 29, 2020
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Saemaul Geumgo launched in Laos
The Korean Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives said Tuesday it has launched Saemaul Geumgo, a community based financial institution supervised by the KFCC, in a rural village in Laos. In partnership with the Lao government, the KFCC has helped residents of Km52 village located in Phonhong district of the captial city Vientiane establish Saemaul Geumgo in the region by offering management support of its financial systems as well as business models. Officials from the Lao governmen
Dec. 29, 2020
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Kospi hits fresh high, Kosdaq gains 3% on ex-dividend date
Buttressed by retail investors’ optimism over continual stock rallies in the South Korean stock market, the nation’s main bourse, the Kospi, logged an all-time closing high for the third consecutive session Tuesday, the ex-dividend date. The Kospi began trading at 2,810.55, up 1.95 points or 0.07 percent from the previous session’s close. It fluctuated up and down, hovering around the 2,800 mark until closer to the end of trading. After the sudden upward move, the index close
Dec. 29, 2020
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Shinhan Bank to accept passports as ID method for contactless services
Shinhan Bank will accept passports when verifying the personal identification of its mobile customers, as part of its efforts to expand access to the bank’s contactless services to foreign and younger customers, officials said Tuesday. Customers had been required to present ID cards or driver’s licenses to access financial services, including opening a bank account or subscribing to savings products. With passports added to the list, younger customers and foreign customers will als
Dec. 29, 2020
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Seoul stocks open higher on ex-dividend day
South Korean stocks opened higher Tuesday on the ex-dividend day, largely due to investors' optimism for a further hike in stock prices. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 0.32 point, or 8.92 percent, to 2,817.52 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The gain came after a choppy start on the ex-dividend day. Investors were obliged to hold on to their shares until the previous session for year-end dividends. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics edged up 0.13 percent,
Dec. 29, 2020
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Bitcoin rally continues after hitting all-time high
Cryptocurrency Bitcoin remained on an upward trend Monday, after crossing the 30 million-won ($27,300) mark for the first time in the South Korean market over the weekend. Hitting a high of 30.59 million won, the digital coin traded above the level of 30 million won throughout morning trading, according to Upbit, a cryptocurrency exchange run by financial technology firm Dunamu. The price of one bitcoin came in at an all-time high of 31.8 million won on Sunday. Early this year, the digital c
Dec. 29, 2020
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Samsung Electronics’ record run continues over optimism for foundry biz
The share price of Samsung Electronics on South Korea’s stock market has reached an unprecedented high yet again, surpassing 80,000 won ($73) during intraday trading Monday. Hitting 80,100 won per share in the early morning trade, Samsung Electronics rose 1.2 percent to close at 78,700 won -- the highest closing price since a 50-to-1 stock split in 2018 -- bringing its market cap to a new high of 469.8 trillion won. This accounted for over 24 percent of all 906 constituents of the Kospi,
Dec. 28, 2020
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Seoul stocks hit new high on US stimulus deal, eased Brexit uncertainties
South Korean stocks set a new record high Monday, backed by a fresh US stimulus deal and eased uncertainties from Brexit. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 1.74 points, or 0.06 percent, to close at 2,808.6. Trading volume was high at about 978 million shares worth some 23.6 trillion won ($21.5 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 530 to 315. The index extended its all-time high for a second straight session on strong
Dec. 28, 2020
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[Photo News] BTS stars in KB Kookmin's ad for Indonesia
K-pop boy band BTS stars in KB Kookmin Bank’s advertisement for Indonesia, with its megahit song “Dynamite” playing in the background, in this screen capture of the commercial released by the lender on Monday. BTS has been KB Kookmin's global ambassador since 2018. KB Kookmin has been expanding its presence in Indonesia in recent years and has so far acquired a 67 percent stake in Bank Bukopin, making it the largest shareholder. By Jung Min-kyung (mkjung@heraldcorp.com)
Dec. 28, 2020
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Asian shares, credit bonds to outperform in 2021: SC Bank
Asian stocks and credit bonds are forecast to remain bullish next year amid a recovering global economy due to the COVID-19 vaccine progress, according to a Standard Chartered Bank Korea report Monday. “Global economic activity, which has been halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, will normalize next year thanks to the vaccine distribution,” the bank‘s report said in regards to 2021 financial market prospects. “As the global economy is expected to rebound, risky
Dec. 28, 2020
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Investment advisory firms swing to profit in H1 on stock rally
Investment advisory firms in South Korea swung to a profit in the first half of fiscal 2020 as the local stock market remained bullish, data showed Monday. The 215 investment advisers reported a combined net profit of 128.3 billion won ($117 million) in the April-September period, according to the data from the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). It marks a sharp turnaround from a total net loss of 22.7 billion won recorded during the previous six months. The financial watchdog attributed th
Dec. 28, 2020
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Seoul stocks open higher on chip gains
South Korean stocks opened higher Monday, backed by strong advances by major tech firms. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 16.87 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,823.73 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Stocks traded bullish after finishing at an all-time high the previous session, led by chip and bio advances. The gain came amid investors' optimism over whether the United States, one of South Korea's largest trading partners, would finalize a coronavirus stimulus pac
Dec. 28, 2020
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S. Korea needs to brace for spread of China’s digital currency: experts
As China accelerates the development of its sovereign digital currency, South Korea should prepare for looming changes that the new form of money may bring about to its largest trading partner, experts had said as of Sunday. China has been intensifying its efforts to introduce the digital yuan, known officially as the Digital Currency Electronic Payment, with the second round of its pilot program launched earlier this month for testing on major e-commerce platforms like JD.com, the country&rsq
Dec. 27, 2020
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Samsung Group market capitalization rises above W700tr for first time
Boosted by the surge in stock prices of key affiliates, the combined market capitalization of Samsung Group’s listed firms exceeded 700 trillion won ($636 billion) for the first time, data from the Korea Exchange showed Sunday. As of Thursday, the market cap of 23 listed stocks of the nation’s telecom-to-chemicals conglomerate came to 719.13 trillion won, soaring over 200 trillion won within the year. It is also the first time that a local group’s total market valuation has to
Dec. 27, 2020