The United States Federal Open Market Committee’s decision this week to take another step back from yearslong quantitative easing is likely to ease uncertainties for the financial markets in South Korea, according to multiple analysts. The FOMC’s highly-anticipated decision to shrink the balance sheet, backed by signs of pick-up in US consumer inflation, will “lift some uncertainties out of the ...

The Korea Exchange, South Korea’s sole securities market operator, is bracing for the 10-day closing of the market next month, the longest in more than three decades. The main bourse and the secondary bourse are scheduled to be dormant from Sept. 30 to Oct. 9 for the weekends and national Chuseok holiday. This is the third time for the market to close for 10 days since Kospi was launched by KRX ...

South Korean stocks closed higher Friday, paring earlier losses fueled by geopolitical concerns, as institutional and individual buyers scooped up large-cap shares, analysts said. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 8.41 points, or 0.35 percent, to close at 2,386.07. Trade volume was slim at 290 million shares worth 6.1 trillion won ($...

Traders are getting less excited by North Korean provocations, judging by the diminished reactions in financial markets to the dictatorship’s weapons tests. Consider the yen. A highly liquid instrument, it’s a haven in times of geopolitical or global financial stress so is perhaps the most sensitive asset to look at for immediate reaction to North Korean acts. The currency soared as much as 0.6 ...

South Korean shares traded lower Friday morning amid a massive selling spree by foreigners and institutions after North Korea fired another ballistic missile earlier in the day. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 8.69 points, or 0.37 percent, to 2,368.97 as of 11:20 a.m. Earlier in the day, the North launched a ballistic missile eastward from its capital, the country's first m...

South Korean stocks opened lower Friday after North Korea fired another ballistic missile earlier in the day, further escalating geopolitical tension in the Northeast Asian region, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 6.67 points, or 0.28 percent, to 2,370.99 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Earlier in the day, the North launched a ballistic missile eastward fr...

Yoon Jong-kyoo, the chairman of KB Financial Group, looks set to win a second term, as the group’s chairman nomination committee on Thursday selected him as the sole candidate for the next leader. Yoon, who has held the post since 2014, became the sole candidate as two other rivals dropped out of the race. “A final decision on whether or not to recommend him to the directors’ board will be made...

South Korean stocks closed higher Thursday as investors scooped up large-cap tech and auto shares following overnight gains on Wall Street, analysts said. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 17.48 points, or 0.74 percent, to 2,377.76. Trade volume was moderate at 283.1 million shares worth 6.3 trillion won ($5.8 billion), with losers s...

South Korea’s cryptocurrency exchanges largely appear unshaken despite the latest drop in bitcoin price fueled by the Chinese government’s reported plans to shut down domestic bitcoin exchanges, which experts here say would more likely stabilize, rather than stumble, the market. The Korea Composite Bitcoin Price, based on prices of a bitcoin in major exchanges in Korea’s Bithumb, Korbit and Coin...

South Korean stocks traded mildly higher late Thursday morning as individual investors scooped up large-cap tech shares, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index inched up 0.71 point, or 0.03 percent, to 2,360.89 as of 11:20 a.m. On Wednesday (local time), US stocks closed at fresh record highs, with the S&P 500 inching up 0.1 percent and the Dow ...

South Korean securities companies were stingy with their donations in the first half of the year despite a jump in earnings, a market tracker said Thursday. According to data from financial information provider FnGuide, 12 brokerage houses donated a combined 4.3 billion won ($3.8 million) to local charities in the January-June period, down 18 percent from a year ago. In contrast, their combined...

South Korean stocks opened higher Thursday tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 2.89 points, or 0.12 percent, to 2,363.07 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Wednesday (local time), US stocks closed at fresh record highs, with the S&P 500 inching up 0.1 percent and the Dow gaining 0.2 percent. Most large caps on the Seoul bourse trad...

South Korea's top steelmaker POSCO and leading chemicals manufacturer LG Chem have seen their market value surge during this year's stock rally driven by large caps, data showed Thursday. POSCO's market capitalization stood at 29.1 trillion won ($25.8 billion) as of Wednesday, ranking fourth among the top 30 companies listed on the local stock market and rising five notches from the end of last ...

South Korean stocks closed lower Wednesday, paring earlier gains, as individual and foreign buyers went on a selling spree, analysts said. The Korean won closed unchanged against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 5.29 points, or 0.22 percent, to close at 2,360.18. Trade volume was moderate at 315 million shares worth 5.8 trillion won ($5.3 billion), with losers ...

South Korean oil refiners, led by SK Innovation Co., traded higher Wednesday, after some small corrections in the past few days, on hopes that margin spreads on key products still run high and oil prices will remain high, industry sources said. SK Innovation, the No. 1 oil refiner, traded at 195,500 won ($177) on the Seoul bourse as of 1:40 p.m., up 2.09 percent, after touching a record high of ...