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

Kospi plunges 5% despite Samsung's record earnings

The South Korean benchmark Kospi slumped nearly 5 percent Tuesday, despite market heavyweight Samsung Electronics posting a record-high quarterly operating profit earlier in the day. The benchmark index closed at 7,656.31, down 4.91 percent from the previous session. After opening just below the 8,000 mark at 7,919.2, the index extended its losses, falling below the 7,400 level and hitting an intraday low of 7,389.22. Although it later pared some of its losses, it failed to recover above the 7,7

2026-07-07 15:13:51:00

Samsung earnings, SK hynix ADR listing to test Kospi rally this week

After a volatile stretch, South Korea's stock market is bracing for two major chipmaker events that could determine its near-term direction: Samsung Electronics' preliminary second-quarter earnings and SK hynix's American depositary receipts listing in the US. Samsung Electronics is widely expected to post record-high earnings on Tuesday, buoyed by the artificial intelligence-driven chip boom. The market consensus calls for revenue of about 170 trillion won ($111 billion) and operating profit of

2026-07-06 14:54:39:00

KB Financial shortlists 6 candidates for chair post

KB Financial Group's race for its next chief is taking shape as the field narrows to six candidates, including incumbent Chair Yang Jong-hee, the group announced Friday. Following a meeting of its chairman candidate recommendation committee, the group announced it had shortlisted six candidates for the top post. The internal candidates are Yang; Lee Jae-keun, chief business officer of global, wealth management and corporate finance; Lee Chang-kwon, chief strategy officer; and Lee Hwan-ju, CEO of

2026-07-03 18:58:25:00

Will SK hynix's Nasdaq debut save troubled won?

South Korean chipmaker SK hynix's planned listing of American depositary receipts in the US could strengthen the ailing Korean won, which recently slid to its weakest level in 17 years against the dollar, providing a rare source of dollar inflows. The chipmaker plans to list its ADRs on the Nasdaq on July 10, aiming to raise as much as $30 billion in what would rank among the largest overseas equity offerings by a South Korean company. If a substantial portion of the dollar proceeds is repatriat

2026-07-03 17:34:49:00