Most Popular
-
1
Ador CEO denies allegations, accuses Hybe of mistreating NewJeans
-
2
Medical reform committee kicks off despite boycott from doctors
-
3
10-man S. Korea lose to Indonesia to miss out on Paris Olympic football qualification
-
4
Hybe-Ador feud should have limited effect on Hybe's overall performance: analysts
-
5
Second Gimpo civil servant found dead, after apologizing for not finishing work
-
6
DP leader says he will meet Yoon without conditions
-
7
Over 9,000 hotline calls made by stalking victims in 2023
-
8
Monthly users on local streaming platforms outpace Netflix, Disney+
-
9
[Hello India] Hyundai Motor vows to boost 'clean mobility' in India
-
10
Seoul to promote luxurious side of the city
-
Aging population likely to cut Korea‘s overseas equities investment
South Korea's rapidly aging population is likely to reduce the nation's overseas equities investment as seniors will likely move to sell assets due to falling living standards, researchers at the Bank of Korea said Wednesday. As the global financial markets become more interconnected, older people will have a bigger impact on the nation's foreign currency market, Lim Jin-soo and Kim Young-rae said in a report. If South Korea's overseas equities investment declines rapidly, it could affect
July 26, 2017
-
Korea to remove regulations in service sector
The South Korean government said Wednesday that it will remove legal and administrative regulations in the local service sector as part of its efforts to promote fair market competition and boost growth.The Fair Trade Commission, the country's antitrust watchdog, said it checked 39 restrictions that restricted competition in the sectors of food, leisure and public services.Related government ministries and agencies have already agreed to get rid of eight of them, with a detailed deregulation sch
July 26, 2017
-
Korea to lower maximum legal lending rate to 24% next year
South Korea will lower the maximum legal lending rate to 24 percent from next year and strengthen supervision of private lenders, in a move to help ease financial burdens for desperate borrowers, the nation's top financial regulator said Wednesday. Choi Jong-ku, the new chairman of the Financial Services Commission, also said he will encourage banks and other financial institutions to make loans to small and medium-sized firms, instead of households and the property sector. By law, private lende
July 26, 2017
-
Foreign banks in Korea advised to take anti-money-laundering
South Korea's financial regulator said Wednesday it has advised some foreign banks here to take steps to guard against money laundering activities. After an inspection of 37 branches of foreign banks in the country, the Financial Supervisory Service concluded that some small-scale branches showed a lack of awareness of money laundering. The FSS said, however, most branches had anti-money-laundering safeguards in place. It did not identify the vulnerable branches by name.The vulnerable branches d
July 26, 2017
-
Moon to hold first talks with top business leaders over beer
President Moon Jae-in is set to hold his first dialogue with top business leaders here this week over beer to help break the ice and possibly allow more frank discussions, an official from the presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, said Tuesday.The talks will be held Thursday and Friday, each day involving part of the top executives from the 14 largest business conglomerates, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Park Soo-hyun."To ensure practical and candid discussions, President Moon will lis
July 25, 2017
-
Korea ups economic growth forecast to 3% for 2017
South Korea on Tuesday raised its economic growth forecast for this year to 3 percent, pledging to create inclusive growth with its four major economic policy pillars of income-led growth, job creation, a fair economy and innovative growth.The Ministry of Strategy and Finance on Tuesday drew up the Moon Jae-in government’s economic policy directions, in which it raised the nation’s growth forecast from 2.6 percent to 3 percent on the back of an uptrend in exports and an incoming fisc
July 25, 2017
-
Consumer sentiment in ‘phase of adjustment’: BOK
South Korea’s composite consumer sentiment index inched up 0.1 point to 111.2 this month from June, indicating a phase of adjustment in anticipation for President Moon Jae-in’s new policies, the Bank of Korea said Tuesday.The CCSI has moved upward six straight months and been in optimistic terrain for four consecutive months, inching closer to the 111.4 recorded in January 2011. However, the increase in July was close to “insignificant,” Park Sang-woo, an official at the
July 25, 2017
-
Seoul counteroffers on Washington’s FTA amendment call
As part of his first duties in office, the newly appointed Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Paik Un-gyu sent a letter to his US counterpart agreeing to hold a joint committee on the two countries’ free trade agreement, but with a different timeline, venue and agenda, the ministry said Tuesday. Making no mention of trade revision deliberations, the Seoul government suggested instead that the committee be used to discuss how to objectively analyze and assess the effects of the KORUS F
July 25, 2017
-
Korean government to unveil tax hike plan next week: finance minister
The South Korean government will unveil its plan to increase taxes for the super rich and biggest businesses next week to secure funds for expanded welfare costs over the next five years, the country's top economic policymaker said Tuesday."The tax-hike issue has been raised in government policy meetings, with the ruling party calling for it," Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon said at a press conference on the new Moon Jae-in government's economic policy plan. "The ministry is consid
July 25, 2017
-
Senior employment rate up 1.1% in May
The employment rate of senior citizens in South Korea gained ground in May from a year earlier as a growing amount remained in the job market or sought work amid the rapidly aging population, government data showed Tuesday.The employment rate of those aged between 55 and 79 reached 54.8 percent as of May, up 1.1 percentage points from a year ago, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.The number of the employed in the age group rose 424,000 to 7.08 million over the cited period, whil
July 25, 2017
-
Korea to cut credit-card processing fees for small merchants
South Korea will cut credit card processing fees for small merchants starting later this month, in the latest move to push forward pro-consumer regulations against commission fees charged by financial service providers, the financial regulator said Tuesday. The move is in line with a campaign pledge by President Moon Jae-in that the new administration aims to ease financial burdens on consumers by assessing "propriety" of commission fees charged on banking and financial services.
July 25, 2017
-
Moon urges swift execution of extra budget for maximum output
President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday urged swift execution of the extra budget recently approved by the parliament, also stressing the need to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the additional spending."Regarding the supplementary budget, the issue is now to execute it with speed. I want you to now show that the extra budget will in fact lead to new jobs, a reduction in the youth jobless rate and economic growth with actual proof," the president said at the start of a weekly Cabi
July 25, 2017
-
Effective corporate tax rate falls under official rate, data shows
The effective corporate tax rate for the country's largest companies fell below the official rate of 22 percent last year due to various adjustments, data from a conglomerate research firm showed Tuesday.Chaebul.com analyzed 131 companies who earned over 200 billion won ($179.37 million) in pre-tax profits and found their average corporate tax rate came to 18.9 percent after deductions.The selected companies included 11 affiliates of Hyundai Motor Group, nine from Samsung Group, seven under SK,
July 25, 2017
-
Fed‘s move to cut asset holdings to increase rates in emerging markets
The move by the US Federal Reserve to reduce its massive asset holdings is expected to increase interest rates in emerging markets as a strong US dollar could spark equities fund outflows, a local think tank said Tuesday. The Fed is widely predicted to begin gradually scaling back the size of $4.5 trillion in Treasury bonds and other bond assets from September, as it has already raised interest rates from record lows set following the 2008 financial crisis. According to a report by local think t
July 25, 2017
-
Korea revises up economic growth forecast to 3% for 2017
South Korea on Tuesday raised its growth forecast for 2017 by 0.4 percentage point to 3 percent as Asia's fourth-largest economy has been basking in brisk exports led by the global economic recovery. For the next year, the government expects the economy to pull off around 3 percent growth, according to the new economic policy plan endorsed by the Cabinet."In 2017, the economy will likely grow an improved 3 percent on the back of an upturn in exports and investment and fiscal expansion broug
July 25, 2017
-
Korean firms step up US lobby as trade issues take center stage
S. Korea's big name exporters have stepped up their lobbying activities in the United States after the Donald Trump administration took office, data showed Tuesday, apparently to smooth out potential trade issues.US Senate Lobbying Disclosure Database showed that tech giant Samsung Electronics spent $1.47 million on lobbying activities in the first half of this year, triple the $490,000 spent in the same period in 2016. The total this year breaks down to $680,000 in the first quarter and $790,00
July 25, 2017
-
Korea suggests US carry out joint study on FTA‘s economic effect
South Korea suggested the United States carry out a joint study on the economic impact of the Seoul-Washington free trade agreement before starting talks on its amendment, Seoul's trade ministry here said Tuesday."Regarding your request to convene a special session of the Joint Committee under the KORUS FTA, Korea agrees to hold the requested Joint Committee in accordance with the due procedures set in the agreement," Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Paik Un-gyu said in a letter
July 25, 2017
-
Consumer sentiment jumps to more than 6-year high in July
Korea's key consumer sentiment index improved for a sixth consecutive month in July to reach more than a six-year high, a central bank survey showed Tuesday, as the economy shows signs of improvement.The composite consumer sentiment index for July came to 111.2, up from 111.1 a month earlier, according to the survey from the Bank of Korea. The July figure marked the highest since January 2011 when the index stood at 111.4.A reading above 100 means optimists outnumber pessimists.Korea's exports h
July 25, 2017
-
Korea to repay W3.5tr won worth of state bonds next month before maturity
South Korea plans to repay 3.5 trillion won worth of state bonds next month ahead of their maturity, the finance ministry said Monday. The government will repay 1.5 trillion won worth of treasury bonds on Aug. 2, 1 trillion won worth of bonds on Aug. 11 and 1 trillion won worth of debt on Aug. 23. The treasury bonds include five-year bonds that will mature in March 2018 and three-year bonds that will mature in June 2018, according to the ministry. (Yonhap)
July 24, 2017
-
[News Focus] Energy policy swings with political winds
Korea’s energy policy has made an abrupt turn with changes of government in the past few decades, leaving the country short of securing stable, efficient and environmentally sustainable supply of energy.According to an index released by the World Energy Council last year, it ranked No. 72 and No. 88 out of 125 countries in terms of energy security and environmental sustainability, respectively.In the latest twist to energy policy, which has swung every five years, President Moon Jae-in&rsq
July 24, 2017