South Korean stocks ended lower Thursday as foreign investors and institutions cashed in recent gains following a month-long rally amid US uncertainties, analysts said. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 2.77 points, or 0.12 percent, to close at 2,344.61. Trade volume was moderate at 331 million shares worth 5.28 trillion won ($4.7 bil...

The capital adequacy ratio of banks and financial groups in South Korea improved in the first quarter of 2017 on the back of eased risk-weighted assets, data showed Wednesday. On average, based on the Bank for International Settlements, the capital requirement ratio of South Korea‘s 17 banks came to 15.14 percent, according to the Financial Supervisory Service. It inched up 0.33 percentage point...

The average daily turnover of the South Korean won-Chinese yuan direct trading market in Seoul fell slightly in the first five months of the year from last year, government data showed Thursday. The daily trading volume in the Seoul won-yuan direct market reached $1.55 billion in the January-May period, down from last year's daily average turnover of $1.95 billion, according to the data compiled...

South Korean stocks traded lower late Thursday morning as foreign investors and institutions offloaded large-cap stocks in an apparent move to lock in profits. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 3.99 points, or 0.17 percent, to 2,343.39 as of 11:20 a.m. Most large caps traded mixed with market kingpin Samsung Electronics inching down 0.27 percent after opening higher. SK hynix...

South Korean stocks opened lower on Thursday, as investors attempted to cash in recent gains, but top market cap Samsung Electronics continued to build up gains. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 3.6 points, or 0.15 percent, to 2,343.78 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Large-cap stocks were mixed across the board. Market kingpin Samsung Electronics was up 0.22 percent, c...

South Korean banks saw their financial health improve slightly in the first-quarter of this year, helped by less exposure to risky assets, the financial regulator said Thursday. The average capital adequacy ratio of 17 commercial and state-run banks stood at 15.14 percent as of end-March, up 0.33 percentage point from the previous quarter, according to the Financial Supervisory Service. A key b...

South Korea's central bank should maintain the current monetary easing policy to support growth, a member of the Bank of Korea's monetary policy board said Wednesday. Koh Seung-beom made the case during a luncheon meeting with reporters at the BOK headquarters in central Seoul, noting the recovery of domestic demand is not strong yet. He also said he does not believe a US rate hike could trigge...

The use and the amount of money traded via smartphone banking apps has continues to surge becoming a major transaction platform, the Bank of Korea’s data showed. As of the first quarter this year, an average of 94.12 million transactions were made through smartphone banking, up 7.3 percent from the previous quarter, accounting for up 61 percent of all internet banking. Daily transactions averag...

South Korea’s tech-heavy stock market hit this year’s record high for two consecutive days, topping the 650 mark for the first time in more than seven months on Wednesday. The benchmark Korean Securities Dealers Automated Quotations closed at 652.04, up 0.46 percent from the previous trading day Tuesday, when it closed at 649.06. The index for the second-tier market had not surpassed 650 mark s...

Mirae Asset Daewoo on Wednesday denied recent reports that the company is considering taking over SK Securities. A report on the previous day said that the company would push forward several takeovers to expand its equities and develop itself into a mega investment bank. It also predicted that SK Securities is the leading candidate as there were rumors that Mirae Asset Daewoo Chairman Park Hyeo...

Deloitte Anjin has named its new CEO Lee Jung-hee, who has been managing partner in Deloitte Tax group since 2010, the accounting firm said Wednesday. Lee will take the helm starting Thursday. The career accountant, known for his expertise as a corporate tax adviser for multinational companies, is expected to serve a 3-year term. Lee was nominated as a sole candidate for the chief executive in ...

KB Savings Bank will launch a simplified authorizing service next month, allowing users to access smartphone banking services without certificate verification or other security media. The service will enable customers who have downloaded KB Savings Bank’s smartphone application to open new bank accounts and utilize financial services with their personal identification numbers only. It can be us...

Investment by South Korean institutional investors into foreign bonds and stocks hit a record high at the end of March this year, official data showed Wednesday. The data suggested that appetite by South Korean insurers, brokerages and asset management firms for riskier assets in foreign countries improved amid record-low interest rates at home. The total holdings of foreign bonds and stocks by...

South Korean shares traded higher late Wednesday morning as foreign and institutional buyers scooped up big cap stocks amid a massive selling spree by individuals. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 9.42 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,353.10 as of 11:20 a.m. The index opened lower on losses in market heavyweights, including market bellwether Samsung Electronics. However, the lo...

South Korean stocks started marginally lower Wednesday mainly on the back of losses in top-listed firms, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index inched down 3.55 points, or 0.15 percent, to trade at 2,340.13 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Top-cap Samsung Electronics edged down 0.09 percent, with chipmaker SK hynix sliding 1.22 percent. Medical and insurance shares, ...