The Korean stock market is expected to rebound as its fundamentals remain untouched despite increasing threats from North Korea.Also, Korean shares will pick up after bearish trading last Friday on the Bank of Japan’s easy-money policy, as the country is set to follow up on its stimulus measures soon, analysts suggested.“We expect to see share prices stay low in the beginning of the week and pick up towards the end of the week,” said Kwak Joong-bo, an analyst at Samsung Securities.“The Bank of K

The Korean economy is likely to recover slower than expected, despite slight improvements in demand and exports, the state-run Korea Development Institute said on Sunday.The KDI report said that industrial production continued to show weak performance between January and February this year, with February’s data showing a 0.8 percent decline from in January.Facility investment declined as well, indicating that manufacturers are striving to cut costs to further offset their first quarter slowdown.

In a bid to implement the slogan of creative economy and to boost inter-department cooperation, the government pledged to step up its support for a comprehensive nano technology research and business development project.The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, together with the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, will invest a total of 15.3 billion won ($13.5 million) this year into the Nano Tech 2020 business, officials said Sunday.The joint project kicked off last year to offer f

Sovereign risks of Northeast Asian economies ― South Korea, Japan and China ― are increasing as North Korea ratchets up its threats against the allied forces of South Korea and the U.S.This heightened regional tension may further drive local stocks and currency to spiral downward going forward as North Korea’s unpredictable bellicose action is undermining investors’ sentiment, analysts said.South Korea, given its closest proximity to the North, has seen its sovereign risk on state bonds measured

Firms advised not to panic, but get contingency plans ready

Kumho Tires started on April 1 offering a mileage warranty for its tires that allows customers to ask for compensation when any discrepancy occurs between the tire’s originally expected lifespan and its actual replacement. It is the first time that a tire maker has introduced the mileage-based warranty service in Korea where drivers’ rough driving style, including frequent and sudden stop-and-go driving, causes quicker tread wear on tires, as well as increased fuel consumption. “Compared to othe

   SEJONG -- South Korea's economy is recovering at a slower pace than expected amid still weak exports growth and sluggish job creation, a state-run think tank said Sunday.   "The Korean economy showed mitigated contraction in domestic demand and a rebound of exports to a positive growth, but its overall pace of recovery is more moderate than expected," the Korea Development Institute said in its report that analyzed the latest economic indicators.   The report said that retail sales in Februar

South Korean smartphone manufactures have reduced their factory prices of products in line with the government's effort to tighten regulations on price subsidies, industry sources said Saturday.Samsung Electronics, the world's top smartphone marker,slashed the price of its Galaxy Note 2 model to 990,000 won ($874.9), down 9 percent from the previous 1.08 million won, according to the sources.The top player also discounted the factory price of its Galaxy 3 models to 790,000 won, compared to the p

The number of active accounts for stock trading in South Korea declined in March from a month earlier amid a prolonged bear market stemming from rising economic and political uncertainties, data showed Friday.South Korean investors held 18.9 million active stock accounts as of end-March, down 3.9 percent from 19.7 million accounts tallied in end-February, according to the data compiled by the Korea Financial Investment Association.The number fell below the 19 million mark for the first time in 1

South Korea may have failed to grab Turkey’s nuclear power plant project, which could instead go to China or Japan, a government official said Friday.The official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said the country was still waiting for an official report from Ankara, but noted the country’s bid may have already proven unsuccessful.“From what we have heard directly (from Turkey) and from remarks of Turkey’s energy minister in recent interviews, it appears Turkey is now considering b