South Korean stocks closed marginally lower Friday as foreigners shunned risky assets on growing geographical tension in the Middle East feared to stir problems with the crude oil supply, analysts said. The local currency rose against the U.S. dollar. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 2.76 points, or 0.14 percent, to close at 2,019.80. Trading volume was moderate at 442.6 million shares worth 5.04 trillion won ($4.56 billion) with decliners outstripping gainers 445 to 368. Analysts said

Apartment prices in South Korea increased at a faster rate in the first quarter compared with a year earlier, data showed Friday, reflecting growing demand for property purchase amid low interest rates.On a nationwide basis, prices gained 0.87 percent on-year in the January-March period, accelerating from 0.67 percent growth in the previous year, according to Kookmin Bank's index measuring property price fluctuations. Kookmin Bank is the flagship of the country's second-largest banking group KB

South Korean stocks opened higher Friday, driven by gains in large-cap chemical companies and steelmarkers, analysts said. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 3.35 points, or 0.17 percent to 2,025.91 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Leading chemical and material producer LG Chem climbed 0.7 percent, with major steelmaker Hyundai Steel soaring more than 4 percent. Utilities and logistics, in contrast, lost ground. State-run power supplier Korea Electric Power Corp. fell 1.5 percent and

South Korean stocks closed nearly 1 percent lower Thursday, a pullback from the previous session's record high of the year as worries about a slowdown in the United States loomed again on weak data and a strong dollar, analysts said. The local currency fell against the dollar. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 20.25 points, or 0.99 percent, to 2,022.56. Trading volume was moderate at 336.5 million shares worth 5.1 trillion won ($4.6 billion), with decliners outpacing gainers 457 to 3

The South Korean won slumped slightly against the U.S. dollar Thursday afternoon, ending its three-day winning streak as its recent rally was excessive and durable goods orders in the U.S. dropped unexpectedly last month, raising concerns over manufacturers amid a strong dollar, dealers said.The local currency was quoted at 1,105.00 per dollar as of 1:30 p.m., down 4.2 won from the previous session's close.The won had rallied some 3 percent over the past few trading sessions on expectations that

Despite a weak economy, seven out of 10 South Korean lawmakers and high-ranking civil servants saw their wealth increase last year from a year earlier thanks mainly to a rise in the value of real estate, data showed Thursday.  Of the nation's 2,302 senior officials required to disclose their fortunes annually, 1,583, or 69 percent of the total, reported an increase in their assets in 2014, according to data from the government public ethic committees of the National Assembly, administrative and

The Bank of Korea said Thursday it will raise the ceiling on loans extended to smaller firms through commercial lenders to 20 trillion won ($18.11 billion) from the current 15 trillion won and cut the rates on some loan schemes as well, the latest move by the central bank to support Asia's fourth-largest economy.The central bank has kept the cap at 15 trillion won since July when it decided to raise the ceiling to help spur loans to small and medium-sized enterprises.The loans, which BOK extends

South Korean stocks opened lower Thursday, as renewed worries about a slowdown in the United States sapped investor appetite here, analysts said.The Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 13.96 points, or 0.68 percent to 2,028.85 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Shares fell across the board, with large-cap exporters leading the decline. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics retreated 2.8 percent, with chip giant SK hynix tumbling more than 3.5 percent.Financial stocks, in contrast, gathered gr

The market value of bio and health care shares listed on the South Korean stock markets surpassed 30 trillion won ($27.22 billion) for the first time as investors pinned high hopes on their future growth, the bourse main operator Korea Exchange said Thursday. The combined market cap of the KRX health care index rose to 33.25 trillion won as of Wednesday, adding over 20 trillion won from a year ago and 10.2 trillion won this year alone, the KRX said. Bio shares have showed the strongest performan

South Korean stocks continued their tepid trading on Wednesday amid absence of a fresh driver to move the market, with foreigners snapping up shares while institutions went on selloff, analysts said. The local currency rose against the dollar. After swerving in and out of positive terrain, the Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 1.44 points, or 0.07 percent, to 2,042.81. Trading volume was moderate at 416.8 million shares worth 4.98 trillion won ($4.52 billion) with gainers outnumbering decl

The government's dividend earnings from its stock holdings fell for the second year in a row to 329.1 billion won ($297.7 million) in 2014, mainly due to the poor performance of institutions it invested in, the finance ministry said Wednesday.The dividend payment received represents a 33.2 percent, or 163.9 billion won, drop from the year prior. It, however, was more than the 325.1 billion won that policymakers expected to earn."Among the 29 state-invested companies that pay dividends, only17 we

The South Korean economy expanded 3.3 percent in 2014 as increased facility investments offset slowing growth in construction investment and exports, the central bank said Wednesday.The revised 2014 reading by the Bank of Korea is on par with an earlier estimate of 3.3 percent released in January. It marks a slight improvement from 2013, when the economy expanded 2.9 percent from a year earlier, according to the revised data.The South Korean economy, Asia's fourth-largest, has been going downhil