Korea puts brake on leveraged chip ETFs

South Korea is tightening restrictions on single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds tracking the country's top chipmakers, which regulators have blamed for exacerbating market volatility, the Finance Ministry announced Thursday. The measures include tripling the minimum cash deposit requirement and suspending new listings of similar products. Following a meeting of the country's top financial policymakers, including the heads of the Finance Ministry, the Financial Services Commission, the Fi

2026-07-16 17:10:12:00

BOK sets first rate hike in 3 years

The Bank of Korea raised its benchmark interest rate for the first time in more than three years on Thursday, as stronger-than-expected economic growth provided the central bank with greater room to tackle mounting inflationary pressures. The BOK's monetary policy board voted unanimously to raise the benchmark rate by 0.25 percentage points to 2.75 percent, ending a yearlong pause in its policy cycle. The move marked the BOK's first rate hike since January 2023, when it raised borrowing costs to

2026-07-16 14:38:42:00

BOK hikes rate after yearlong pause

The Bank of Korea on Thursday raised its benchmark interest rate for the first time since May 2025, ending a pause in monetary policy that had persisted for more than a year, as mounting inflationary pressures and the prolonged weakness of the won strengthened the case for further monetary tightening. The Monetary Policy Board agreed to raise the benchmark interest rate by 0.25 percentage point, bringing the base rate to 2.75 percent. The decision came as surging global oil prices triggered by t

2026-07-16 10:04:03:00

MBK promotes Korea Zinc project in US amid Homeplus crisis

MBK Partners is facing criticism after hosting a reception in the United States to promote Korea Zinc's US investment project while its portfolio company Homeplus remains mired in a deepening restructuring crisis in South Korea. The event took place on July 9 in Nashville, Tennessee, where MBK and Young Poong introduced themselves as Korea Zinc's "largest shareholder group" and highlighted their support for Project Crucible, the zinc producer's flagship US investment project, according to indust

2026-07-15 14:56:02:00

Regulator weighs curbs but sees no easy fix for leveraged chip ETFs

South Korea's financial regulators are scrambling to curb the influence of leveraged exchange-traded funds tracking the country's top chipmakers, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, amid concerns that trading in the products has come to dominate the market. Financial Supervisory Service Gov. Lee Chan-jin, the country's top financial regulator, acknowledged that there is no easy way to address the market impact of the leveraged ETFs. At a closed-door meeting with the heads of local asset managers h

2026-07-14 15:21:28:00

SK hynix's Wall Street debut sparks ETF frenzy, Seoul volatility

A wave of single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds tied to SK hynix's newly listed US shares is set to hit the market this week, underscoring growing investor demand for products linked to the South Korean chipmaker. US ETF issuers are lining up to launch products tied to the chipmaker, following the strong Nasdaq debut of SK hynix's American depositary receipts, which jumped 13.08 percent from their offering price to close at $168.49 on Friday. The flurry of ETF launches underscores growing

2026-07-13 15:09:15:00

Shinhan board expands dialogue with UK investors

Shinhan Financial Group's board stepped up efforts to strengthen ties with global investors through a series of investor relations meetings in the UK, the banking group said Sunday. Shinhan Financial board Chair Kwak Su-keun led a five-day investor relations roadshow across London and Edinburgh from Monday through Friday. The investor relations event was held to outline the group's progress on its corporate value enhancement initiatives and governance strategy, while gathering feedback from glob

2026-07-12 13:31:42:00

Why Korea's rental car industry is drawing global buyout giants

Global private equity firms are lining up to take a bite of South Korea's rental car industry, reflecting a growing view that the industry is transforming from a traditional leasing business into a mobility platform built around vehicle access. US-based private equity firm TPG is moving to acquire a controlling stake in Lotte Rental, the operator of the country's top car rental brand Lotte Rent-a-Car. Having secured exclusive due diligence rights, TPG is seeking to secure the 61.21 percent stake

2026-07-11 16:00:00:00

Mirae Asset wins FTC approval for Korbit deal

Mirae Asset Financial Group announced Thursday that its acquisition of local cryptocurrency exchange Korbit has received regulatory approval from the country's antitrust watchdog, clearing the way for the group to strengthen its digital asset capabilities. In February, Mirae Asset Consulting, an affiliate of the group, agreed to acquire a 92.06 percent stake in Korbit, one of South Korea's five won-based cryptocurrency exchanges, for 133.5 billion won ($88.8 million), citing the need to secure n

2026-07-09 14:02:48:00

Hahn & Co. names investment veterans as CIO, CPO

South Korea's leading private equity firm Hahn & Co. promoted two senior executives to C-suite positions on Wednesday as it moves to strengthen its core investment and portfolio management capabilities. Managing Directors Lee Dong-chun and Daniel Sung-Kwan Cho were promoted to Chief Portfolio Officer and Chief Investment Officer, respectively. Lee will oversee the management of the firm's portfolio companies, while Cho will lead new investments. Lee, a former vice president of Sony Korea's Devic

2026-07-08 15:30:35:00