South Korean stocks got off to a weak start on Monday due to losses in major exporters, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) slipped 2.87 points, or 0.14 percent, to 1,978.31 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Automakers were trading in negative territory, with Hyundai Motor falling 1.17 percent and Kia Motors losing 0.56 percent. Market bellwether Samsung El...

South Korean stocks closed 0.18 percent higher Thursday as a spate of negative factors began to fade, whetting investors' appetite for risk, analysts said. The local currency rose against the U.S. dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) advanced 3.54 points to finish at 1,977.42. Trading volume was moderate at 330.5 million shares worth 3.36 trillion won (US$3.09 billion)...

The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed a suspended prison term for Rep. Roh Hoe-chan for violating the Communications Privacy Act, stripping the minor opposition party's co-chairman of his parliamentary seat. Roh of the Progressive Justice Party was found guilty of releasing a list in 2005 of seven former and sitting senior prosecutors who allegedly received bribes from Samsung Group, the count...

South Korean stocks traded 0.13 percent higher late Thursday morning, buoyed by gains in steelmakers and tech shares, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 2.51 points to 1,978.58 as of 11:20 a.m. Leading steelmaker POSCO moved up 1.3 percent, with tech behemoth Samsung Electronics rising 0.07 percent. But telecom shares continued to trend downward from th...

South Korean stocks closed 1.56 percent higher on Wednesday as concern over a global currency row eased following a warning from major advanced economies against Japan's aggressive monetary easing, analysts said. The Korean won gathered ground against the U.S. dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) soared 30.28 points to finish at a three-week high of 1,976.07. Trading v...

South Korean stocks traded 1.14 percent higher late Wednesday morning, fueled by gains in brokerage firms and steelmakers, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) climbed 22.11 points to 1,967.90 as of 11:20 a.m. Major local brokerage firm Mirae Asset Securities spiked 4.5 percent and steelmaker Hyundai Steel soared nearly 3 percent. In contrast, telecom shares t...

South Korean stocks began higher Wednesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street, as investors were buoyed by encouraging remarks by U.S. President Barack Obama before his State of the Union address, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 5.58 points, or 0.29 percent, to 1,951.37 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Most shares trended upwards, with brok...

VATICAN CITY (AFP) -- Pope Benedict XVI will bid his followers farewell in a final audience in St Peter's Square on Feb. 27, the day before he officially steps down, a Vatican spokesman said on Tuesday. "The last general audience will be held in the square since a lot of people will come," Federico Lombardi said at a press briefing. Lombardi also said the pope's traditional Ash Wednesday mass o...

North Korea said its nuclear test Tuesday was only a "first" step and warned of stronger action if it was faced with tougher sanctions as a result. "The latest nuclear test was only the first action, with which we exercised as much self-restraint as possible," the foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the country's official news agency. "If the US further complicates the situation wit...

South Korean stocks closed 0.26 percent lower Tuesday, driven by foreign-led program selling, with North Korea's nuclear test having little effect on the market, analysts said. The local currency rose against the U.S. dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) inched down 5.11 points to finish at 1,945.79. Trading volume was light at 303.5 million shares worth 2.81 trillion...