Korea’s five major automakers including Hyundai Motor sold 778,187 vehicles at home and abroad last month, posting a 8.9 percent on-year increase despite the global economic slowdown.Hyundai Motor said Monday that its vehicle sales at home and abroad logged 420,365 units in November, up 11.9 percent from a year earlier.The largest carmaker in Korea sold 61,608 units in the local market and 358,757 units in the overseas market, reporting 12.6 percent and 11.8 percent on-year growth, respectively.

Some foreign banks, asset management firms, insurers looking to leave or downsize businesses in Korea

South Korean stocks began higher Monday as positive economic data from South Korea and China offset nagging concerns over the U.S. budget impasse, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 0.44 percent, or 8.53 points, to 1,941.43 in the first 15 minutes of trading.South Korea's trade surplus widened in November from a month earlier, while China saw its manufacturing purchasing managers' index data rise to a 7-month high.Key exporters led the gain, with market b

South Korea's consumer prices grew at the slowest pace in three months in November, indicating that the country managed to keep inflation under control, a government report showed Monday.The country's consumer prices index rose 1.6 percent in November from a year earlier, compared with a 2.1 percent on-year gain in the previous month, according to the report by Statistics Korea. From a year earlier, it dropped 0.4 percent.The core inflation, which excludes volatile oil and food prices, increased

South Korea’s trade surplus widened in November from the previous month as exports posted positive growth on the back of steady global demand, the government said Saturday.The country’s trade surplus came to $4.48 billion in November, compared with the surplus of $3.7 billion the previous month, according to the Ministry of Knowledge Economy. The country’s exports grew 3.9 percent from the same month last year to $47.79 billion with imports gaining 0.7 percent on-year to $43.32 billion.The expor

South Korea’s financial market for people preparing for life after retirement is expected to more than triple over the next decade amid rising demand from its fast-aging population, a report showed Sunday.The financial market for private pensions, retirement pensions and other private-sector financial products designed to support retirees will grow to 981 trillion won ($905.8 billion) in 2020 from the 302 trillion won estimated for this year, according to the report by Woori Investment and Secur

South Korea’s stock market is expected to remain in a tight range this week as investors wait on the U.S. fiscal cliff issue, analysts said.The country’s key stock index, the KOSPI, gained 21.57 points, or 1.27 percent, last week to close at 1,932.90 on Friday, on hopes that U.S. lawmakers and President Barack Obama will find a compromise on the U.S. fiscal issue.“Until the issue is addressed, investors will remain cautious on betting, and be engaged in trading and just be on the lookout for und

The Fair Trade Commission plans to launch a probe into the nation’s franchise business sector in the first quarter next year, starting with cosmetics shops in downtown areas that are sprouting recently due to soaring demand from Asian tourists. “We will look into the franchise sector as many retired people are seeking to start a new business and such trend is spreading to younger generations,” FTC chairman Kim Dong-soo told reporters on Friday. “As soon as we complete our investigation into conv

The sales of “phablets,” or large-screen smartphones, manufactured by Korea’s two handset makers ― Samsung and LG ― took up more than 90 percent of the global market, according to a U.S. market research firm.Strategy Analytics said Sunday that Samsung Electronics secured about 78 percent market share in the third quarter. LG Electronics accounted for about 14 percent market share.A combination of “phone” and “tablets,” phablets are touch-screen devices that are larger than smartphones but smalle

The sale of Korea Aerospace Industries is expected to be delayed to next year as the two leading presidential candidates both came out against the “hasty” privatization of the nation’s sole aircraft maker, industry sources said on Sunday. The likelihood of a delay increased after the state-run Korea Finance Corp., which has led the sale of a 41.75 percent stake in KAI, announced last week that it would extend the due diligence period to Dec. 7 from the original deadline of Nov. 29. The decision

Only eight of top 1,000 Korean companies led by a female CEO