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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Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
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‘Inside Out 2’ adds four new emotions, explores teenage life
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Questions raised over fair promotion of RM, NewJeans
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Mirae Asset subsidiary lists 1st ETFs on London Stock Exchange
Mirae Asset Global Investments said Monday that its US exchange-traded funds provider subsidiary Global X has launched two products to be traded on the London Stock Exchange starting Friday. The thematic ETFs -- Global X Telemedicine & Digital Health UCITS ETF and Global X Video Games & Esports UCITS ETF -- mark the first ETFs of a Korean-owned company to be listed on a European exchange. According to data from market researcher ETFGI, the total size of listed ETFs and exchange-traded
Dec. 21, 2020
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IFC provides $50m loan to KB Kookmin Card's Indonesian lending arm
The International Finance Corp. said Monday it plans to provide a loan of up to $50 million to KB Finansia Multi Finance, an Indonesian subsidiary of South Korean credit finance company KB Kookmin Card. The loan will contribute to a sustainable and inclusive economic recovery in Indonesia by addressing the liquidity squeeze in the nation’s multifinance sector, the IFC said. Multifinance companies like KB Finansia Multi Finance are considered the main source of funding for micro, small an
Dec. 21, 2020
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Seoul stocks open lower on profit-taking
South Korean stocks opened lower Monday on increased valuation pressure, after the benchmark index closed at an all-time high the previous session despite surging new coronavirus cases. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 4.18 points, or 0.15 percent, to 2,768.0 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Stocks got off to a weak start as foreigners and institutions are set to lock in gains as the country's soaring COVID-19 cases increased concerns of stronger social distancin
Dec. 21, 2020
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Hanjin Group speeds up asset divestments to cope with pandemic
Hanjin Group, which controls South Korea‘s largest aviation firm Korean Air Lines, is speeding up asset divestments to secure cash in an apparent effort to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, filings showed Sunday. Hanjin Group’s holding company Hanjin KAL is poised to sell a 100 percent stake in a golf course developer Jedong Leisure to an undisclosed buyer for 23 billion won ($20.9 million). The company, located in Jeju Island, has sought to lay out a golf course development project
Dec. 20, 2020
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IPO market attracts record subscription deposits in 2020
The local initial public offering market was all the rage in 2020 as nearly 300 trillion won ($272.9 billion) poured in, three times more than 2018 or 2019, according to industry data on Sunday. This year’s IPO market will come to a close with materials firm Sukgyung AT making its debut on Wednesday. Other than special-purpose acquisition companies and companies that merged with listed firms, a total of 76 companies were newly listed on the nation’s main Kospi and secondary Kosd
Dec. 20, 2020
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[Women in Finance 5] Singapore sees more women in senior management
The Korea Herald is publishing a series of special reports on the glass ceiling in the financial industry, focusing on South Korea’s market compared to other major economies. Funded by The Korea Press Foundation, the series will evaluate where Asia’s fourth-largest economy stands in terms of gender equality, reflect on changes being made, and explore ways to boost inclusion in the sector. -- Ed. SINGAPORE -- At Singapore’s three major local banks, women account for more than
Dec. 20, 2020
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Brokerages raise stock price outlook for 2021 on global recovery, ample liquidity
South Korean brokerage houses predicted the local stock market would continue its uptick move in 2021, citing signs of a global economic recovery and growing investor appetite for higher returns, data showed Sunday. Multiple securities companies set their upper-end target band for the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) above 3,000 points, showing greater confidence from a month ago. Between end-October and early November, brokerages had expected a band of 2,100-2,700 points,
Dec. 20, 2020
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KRX names former FSC vice chief as new chief exec
South Korea’s sole bourse operator has named Sohn Byung-doo, former vice chairman of the Financial Services Commission, to take the new chief post of the Korea Exchange, according to the officials Friday. Sohn’s CEO appointment was approved by shareholders of the Korea Exchange, they added. Prior to the shareholders meeting, he was named as the single candidate for the position earlier this month. Sohn, 56, has had a 30-year career in the civil service. He worked at the Ministry
Dec. 18, 2020
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Seoul stocks hit new high on US stimulus hopes
South Korean stocks rose slightly to reach a record high Friday, buoyed by optimism over US stimulus talks despite a spike in local COVID-19 cases. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 1.75 points, or 0.06 percent, to close at 2,772.18. Trading volume was high at about 1.05 billion shares worth some 18.9 trillion won ($17.2 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 491 to 342. Foreigners sold a net 192.4 billion won, while in
Dec. 18, 2020
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Most expensive house in Korea: Shinsegae chairwoman’s W30b residence
A Hannam-dong residence in central Seoul owned by Shinsegae Group’s chief retained its top position as the most expensive house in Korea, data showed Friday. The value of Shinsegae chairwoman Lee Myeong-hee’s 2,862-square-meter house, as assessed by the government, was 29.53 billion won ($26.88 million), up 6.6 percent from this year. Lee is the younger sister of late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee. Previously, the house’s declared price surged by 59.7 percent on-year fro
Dec. 18, 2020
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Seoul stocks open tad higher on Wall Street gains
South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Friday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street amid hopes of a new US stimulus deal and the possible rollout of US biotech company Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 1.65 points, or 0.06 percent, to 2,772.08 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.49 percent to reach a record high of 30,303.37 points, while the Nasdaq composite al
Dec. 18, 2020
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[Women in Finance 4] Pandemic highlights power of gender diversity to improve decision-making
The Korea Herald is publishing a series of special reports on the glass ceiling in the financial industry, focusing on South Korea’s market compared to other major economies. Funded by The Korea Press Foundation, the series will evaluate where Asia’s fourth-largest economy stands in terms of gender equality, reflect on changes being made, and explore ways to boost inclusion in the sector. -- Ed. The COVID-19 pandemic has been both an opportunity and a crisis for the world of financ
Dec. 17, 2020
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FSS orders Kakao Bank to improve contingency plan
Financial regulator Financial Supervisory Service said Thursday that it has ordered online-only bank Kakao Bank to beef up its plans to deal with emergent situations, such as shortage of capital. The watchdog regularly assesses financial companies’ capital adequacy and risk management schemes, and it orders them to fix inefficient emergency measures if there is any. It was the first time for the online bank to be reviewed by the financial authority over its contingency plan. The nation&
Dec. 17, 2020
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Seoul stocks close nearly flat amid virus woes
South Korean stocks closed nearly flat Thursday as investors remained wary of spiking COVID-19 cases and looming virus restrictions. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 1.36 points, or 0.05 percent, to 2,770.43 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 998.4 million shares worth some 15.8 trillion won ($14.5 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 493 to 352. Foreigners sold a net 301.1 billion won, and institutions off
Dec. 17, 2020
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Seoul stocks open lower as virus cases surge
South Korean stocks opened lower Thursday as the country is mulling implementing the strongest COVID-19 restrictions amid a recent surge in virus cases. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 6.73 points, or 0.24 percent, to 2,765.06 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Wednesday, South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases hit a new high of 1,078, prompting authorities to consider adopting the highest level of social distancing measures, which would ban gatherings of 10
Dec. 17, 2020
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NPS likely to log 7% return on investments: welfare minister
South Korea’s National Pension Service is likely to log a 7 percent return on its investments this year, the nation’s welfare minister said Wednesday. “Investment environments seem to be on a recovery path with domestic and global economic indices improving and the (local) stock market hitting record highs recently,” said Park Neung-hoo, minister of health and welfare, who chairs the NPS’ asset management committee. “The fund operator will be able to ac
Dec. 16, 2020
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Bitcoin rally continues on institutional interests
Bitcoin on Wednesday came under market watch after it spiked nearly to $20,000 earlier this month and continued its rally for days, on the back of institutional investors diversifying their portfolios. The most popular cryptocurrency remained above $19,000 per coin for a third straight day Wednesday morning, according to Upbit, one of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges here operated by local financial technology firm Dunamu. After the digital coin reached a recent high of $19,850 on Dec. 1,
Dec. 16, 2020
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Naver, Kakao excluded from toughened watch list of financial conglomerates
Financial authorities on Wednesday ruled out Big Tech firms Naver and Kakao as subjects to one of the “three fair economy bills,” designed to rein in dominance of conglomerates and add transparency to corporate governance here. “At the moment, Kakao and Naver do not meet the standards,” Financial Services Commission Vice Chairman Doh Kyu-sang said in a briefing of related ministries for the revised bills. Companies with two or more financial units and total assets of
Dec. 16, 2020
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Seoul stocks hit fresh record high on US stimulus hopes
Seoul stocks hit fresh record high on US stimulus hopes South Korean stocks snapped their two-day losing streak to end at a fresh record high Wednesday, backed by optimism over the US stimulus talks and positive reports related to US biotech company Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 14.97 points, or 0.54 percent, to close at 2,771.79.Trading volume was high at about 1.1 billion shares wo
Dec. 16, 2020
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Stock investment loans surge as Kospi hits new high
The Kospi hit a new all-time high on Wednesday on growing hopes over US stimulus talks and reports on vaccine candidates, closing at 2,771.79. The tech-heavy Kosdaq also rose to 939.65, marking its highest level in nearly 19 years. Amid the continued stock market rally, the total amount of loans taken out for stock investments by individuals in South Korea has exceeded 19 trillion won ($17.37 billion) for the first time, market data showed. After crossing the 19 trillion-won mark Monday, the
Dec. 16, 2020