Seoul shares end over 1% higher on tech gains

Seoul shares ended more than 1 percent higher Wednesday on tech gains, with investors somewhat relieved by US President Donald Trump's recent comments on tariff sanctions. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 28.13 points, or 1.08 percent, to close at 2,643.94. Trade volume was moderate at 499.76 million shares worth 7.56 trillion won ($5.5 billion), with gainers outpacing decliners 458 to 413. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average

March 26, 2025

Seoul shares open higher on tech, auto gains

Seoul shares opened higher Wednesday, tracking gains on Wall Street, helped by gains in tech and auto stocks. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 16.84 points, or 0.64 percent, to 2,632.65 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.01 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite climbed 0.46 percent. In Seoul, tech and auto stocks led gains. Market behemoth Samsung Electronics rose 1.17 percent, and chip giant SK hynix jumped 2.4 perce

March 26, 2025

Seoul shares snap 5-day rise on profit taking

Seoul shares ended lower Monday, snapping their five-session winning streak as investors offloaded tech and other large-cap stocks on profit taking. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 11.06 points, or 0.42 percent, to close at 2,632.07. Trade volume was moderate at 359.99 million shares worth 6.84 trillion won ($4.7 billion), with decliners outpacing gainers 463 to 401. The KOSPI opened lower, bucking gains on Wall Street on Friday. Re

March 24, 2025

Seoul shares open lower on profit-taking

Seoul shares opened lower Monday, bucking gains on Wall Street, as investors moved to lock in profits from recent gains. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 8.4 points, or 0.32 percent, to 2,634.73 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Friday, US stocks closed higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 0.08 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite gaining 0.52 percent. The KOSPI had risen for five consecutive sessions through Friday, aided by gains in big techs. Te

March 24, 2025

Seoul shares rise for 4th day on tech gains; won at 2-week low

Seoul shares extended their winning streak to a fourth day Thursday on the back of gains in major tech stocks after the Federal Reserve calmed market concerns over Donald Trump's tariff war. The Korean won fell to its lowest in two weeks against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 8.48 points, or 0.32 percent, to close at 2,637.10. Trade volume was moderate at 445.75 million shares worth 11.73 trillion won (US$8.04 billion), with decliners outpacing gainers 544 to

March 20, 2025

Seoul shares open higher after Fed meeting

Seoul shares opened higher Thursday, tracking gains on Wall Street, after the US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 7.23 points, or 0.28 percent, to 2,635.85 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, US stocks jumped as Fed Chair Jerome Powell signaled some confidence about the US economic outlook. His remarks helped sooth concerns among investors in the face of Donald Trump's tariff war. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.

March 20, 2025

Kospi trading halted for 7 minutes due to tech glitch

First all-stock suspension since 2005 follows system error amid alternative trading exchange rollout South Korea's main bourse, Kospi, experienced a brief trading suspension on Tuesday, with the Korea Exchange attributing the issue to a technical glitch triggered by a newly introduced function. Trading on the Kospi market was halted for seven minutes starting at 11:37 a.m., during which brokerages were unable to retrieve quotes or process orders. This marked the first time since the Korea Exchan

March 19, 2025

KRX says brief stock trading halt caused by technical glitch

KRX says brief stock trading halt caused by technical glitch The Korea Exchange (KRX), the operator of the country's main stock exchange, said Tuesday that a brief trading halt of companies listed on the main bourse was caused by a glitch in the calculation of excessive quotations for a certain company. The trading of stocks on the main Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) market froze for 7 minutes from 11:37 a.m. to 11:44 a.m., marking the first time since 2005 that the trading of all KOS

March 18, 2025

Seoul shares close nearly unchanged amid lingering tariff woes

South Korean stocks closed nearly flat Tuesday following the previous session's sharp gains amid lingering concerns about US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff measures. The local currency fell against the greenback. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 1.65 points, or 0.06 percent, to close at 2,612.34, extending the winning streak to a second straight session. Trade volume was a bit heavy at 431.5 million shares worth 11.86 trillion won ($8.17 billion), with winners outpa

March 18, 2025

AmCham expands 'Buy America' initiative with new infrastructure partnership

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea said Friday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Yido, NH Investment & Securities, and Hangang Asset Management, marking the second major partnership under its “Buy America” campaign. This agreement aims to support Korean companies in establishing a foothold in the US infrastructure market, including roads, tunnels, bridges and power facilities. With the Trump administration prioritizing large-scale infrastructure revitalization, AmCham

March 18, 2025

Seoul shares open higher on tech gains

South Korean stocks opened higher Tuesday, tracking Wall Street gains, led by foreign investors' solid buying of tech shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 20.45 points, or 0.78 percent, to 2,631.14 in the first 15 minutes of trading. US shares rose Monday on bargain hunting as investors shrugged off concerns about an economic slowdown and a global trade war. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.85 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite went up 0.31 percent.

March 18, 2025

Nextrade expands stock trading

South Korea’s first alternative stock trading system, Nextrade, also known as NXT, has expanded its trading service to 110 stocks, following the smooth launch of its operations earlier this month. The system opened to the public on March 4, initially offering 10 different stocks for trading, and expanded to 110 on Monday. From the Kospi, newly listed stocks include Korean retail giant Shinsegae, energy-to-construction giant GS, top ramyeon maker Nongshim, Hyundai E&C and Samsung Securities. Newl

March 17, 2025

[Contribution] Weakening of US influence?

One thing is clear: if you rely on the US for anything – demand for your exports or supply of critical high-tech products such as advanced semiconductors, financial aid or military protection – you could be increasingly at risk of being strong-armed by the new US administration. This situation is creating havoc in the short run, but in the long run it will create a new world order with a dramatic reduction in the US' influence across the globe. The first thing I want to point out is that this is

March 17, 2025

Seoul Guarantee Insurance marks strong Kospi debut despite market concerns

Insurer concludes first trading day with a 23% gain over debut price Seoul Guarantee Insurance, South Korea's leading guarantee insurer, marked a strong debut on the local stock market Friday, defying concerns over a market slowdown and potential overvaluation. According to the Korea Exchange, SGI closed its first trading day at 32,000 won ($22) per share, a 23 percent gain from its offering price of 26,000 won. The stock opened with a 7.88 percent gain and briefly reached an intraday high of 32

March 16, 2025

Seoul shares finish lower amid Trump's tariff determination

South Korean stocks ended lower for the second consecutive session Friday amid US President Donald Trump's determination to push forward with his controversial tariff policies. The local currency stayed unchanged against the greenback from the previous session. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 7.28 points, or 0.28 percent, to close at 2,566.36. Trade volume was moderate at 357.3 million shares worth 9.8 trillion won ($6.74 billion). Winners, however, outpaced losers 508 to 35

March 14, 2025