The Ministry of Economy and Finance has proposed a 677.4 trillion won ($509.2 billion) budget for next year, focusing on fiscal consolidation while bolstering public welfare and investing in strategic emerging industries. The budget, proposed by the finance ministry and endorsed by the Cabinet on Tuesday, represents a 3.2 percent hike from this year, reflecting the government's commitment to spending control and improved fiscal health. "Once known for its strong fiscal soundness, Korea

Economy Aug. 27, 2024

Nearly three months after the government launched the "Corporate Value-up Program" in May, participation by South Korean companies remains minimal. As of Friday, just eight companies had released value enhancement disclosures, representing a mere 0.3 percent of the 2,585 firms listed on the Kospi and Kosdaq, according to Korea Exchange data. Including the 10 firms that have preannounced disclosures, just 0.7 percent have joined the program. The "value-up" initiative, rolled o

Economy Aug. 25, 2024

Kim Dong-sun, the youngest heir of Hanwha Group and vice president of Hanwha Galleria, has initiated a public tender offer to increase his control over the retail subsidiary. According to a regulatory filing released Friday, Kim has offered to purchase 34 million shares, representing 17.54 percent of Hanwha Galleria, from Aug. 25 to Sept. 11. The offer price is set at 1,600 won ($1.19) per share, a 23 percent premium over the previous day's closing price of 1,303 won. The filing noted that

Industry Aug. 23, 2024

The South Korean government is ramping up financial aid to address the rapidly growing unpaid bills from Qoo10 Group’s e-commerce subsidiaries, which have now exceeded 800 billion won ($600 million). On Wednesday, the Finance Ministry announced that overdue payments to vendors on Tmon and WeMakePrice, the two struggling online marketplaces owned by Singapore-based Qoo10, have reached 818.8 billion won as of Monday. The unpaid bills have tripled in less than a month due to transaction delay

Industry Aug. 21, 2024

Singapore-based logistics company Qxpress is set to separate from its financially troubled parent, Qoo10 Group. According to the local investment industry Tuesday, private equity firms that have invested in Qxpress are reportedly gearing up to convert their holdings of exchangeable bonds and convertible bonds into common stock on a large scale, initiating the procedure to take over management control of the logistics subsidiary from Qoo10 to restore normal operations. Investments totaling approx

Industry Aug. 20, 2024

The average earnings of bankers at South Korea's four major banks in the first half of this year amounted to 60.5 million won ($45,300), surpassing the pay at some of the country's largest companies. According to recent public disclosures reported by the banks to the Financial Supervisory Service, Hana Bank led the pack, offering 67 million won on average to its employees over the first six months. KB Kookmin Bank and Woori Bank followed at 60 million won each, while Shinhan Bank provi

Economy Aug. 19, 2024

South Korea’s Shinhan Financial Group has opened its new Vietnam headquarters in Ho Chi Minh City’s Thu Thiem financial district, bringing its subsidiaries together under one roof, the company said Sunday. On Thursday, Shinhan’s five Vietnamese subsidiaries — Shinhan Bank, Shinhan Finance, Shinhan Life, Shinhan Securities and Shinhan DS — relocated to The Mett Building, a landmark in the new urban area of Thu Thiem. The opening ceremony was attended by key executive

Industry Aug. 18, 2024

Nearly 70 percent of foreign investors expect South Korea's government-led Corporate Value-up Program to have minimal or moderate impact on the capital market, according to a recent Bank of America survey. The survey, conducted earlier this month with around 200 Asian fund managers, revealed that 22 percent foresee "no significant impact" from the program, a 6 percent increase from July's results. Meanwhile, 44 percent anticipate a "moderately positive impact," whil

Market Aug. 16, 2024

The top financial regulators of South Korea and Japan are set to meet next month. Korea’s Financial Services Commission Chairman Kim Byoung-hwan is scheduled to meet with Hideki Ito, commissioner of Japan’s Financial Services Agency, in Tokyo in September, according to the FSC on Friday. This marks the first meeting between the newly appointed financial chiefs since both assumed their positions in July. The upcoming bilateral talks follow the revival of the regular meetings between K

Economy Aug. 16, 2024

K-pop powerhouses are grappling with a loss of growth momentum, with Hybe taking the hardest hit amid ongoing scandals. Hybe, home to K-pop sensation BTS, saw its shares plunge 4.56 percent Wednesday, closing at 163,100 won ($120), the lowest since December 2022. This marked the fourth consecutive day of declines, with the stock down 11.2 percent since Aug. 8, despite a brief rally following better-than-expected second-quarter results. Hybe reported record second-quarter sales of 640.5 billion w

Industry Aug. 15, 2024

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea hosted a seminar on Wednesday at the IFC Forum in Yeouido, Seoul, offering an in-depth overview of the US work visa process. The event focused on providing essential information about US work visas, including the visa categories, their specific requirements and permitted business activities under each visa type. Experts from various fields also offered insights for corporations and individuals looking to expand into the US market, addressing challenges a

Economy Aug. 14, 2024

Kakao Pay, the mobile payments division of South Korea’s IT giant Kakao, has denied allegations of illegal customer data usage, amid revelations from a Financial Supervisory Service investigation. On Tuesday, the FSS revealed that Kakao Pay had allegedly shared the credit information of approximately 40 million customers with third parties without their consent. The findings emerged from the agency’s recent inspection of Kakao Pay’s overseas payment services. The FSS identified

Industry Aug. 13, 2024

After looking to relocate its headquarters from Washington, partially owned by South Korea's Igis Asset Management, US mortgage giant Fannie Mae has reversed course, opting instead to extend its lease under revised terms that will see it occupy a smaller space. Igis Asset Management announced Tuesday that the Federal National Mortgage Association, commonly known as Fannie Mae, has recently signed a new long-term lease at Midtown Center, a downtown DC property the Korean company jointly owns

Industry Aug. 13, 2024

The Korea Customs Service has initiated an investigation into potential damages related to overseas product purchases made through the troubled e-commerce platforms Tmon and WeMakePrice. The probe comes in response to customer reports that items purchased through these platforms cleared customs but were not delivered. "We have launched an internal investigation following reports from customers and media that a courier company moved these items to a different location inside the country upon

Industry Aug. 9, 2024

A three-way takeover battle for MG Non-Life Insurance began Thursday, with Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance entering the prolonged race as a new contender. According to local reports, three companies submitted letters of intent to participate in the fourth preliminary bidding for MG Insurance on Thursday. The contenders include Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance and private equity firms Dayli Partners and JC Flowers. Meritz Fire, the non-life insurance arm of local financial holding company Me

Industry Aug. 9, 2024