South Korean stocks are likely to face growing volatility next week as fears over a weakening yen grip investors amid a lack of upward momentum, analysts said Saturday.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 1,939.87 on Friday, down 24.56 points from 1,964.43 the previous week.Seoul shares started the week on a weak note after the Bank of Japan's surprise move for additional monetary easing spurred concerns about the weakening yen and pummeled shares of exporters that c

The South Korean currency will continue to slide next year and fall to 1,140 won against the U.S. dollar amid the Japanese yen weakening from its stimulus package, a report said Friday.  "We are rolling forward our U.S. dollar-Korean won forecasts to 1,100 won, 1,130 won, 1,140 won for 3-, 6- and 12-month horizons, from 1,060 won, 1,080 won and 1,100 won previously," said the Goldman Sachs report. "We retain our long-term forecasts forend-2016 and end-2017 at 1,200 won."  It said that the deprec

A World Bank report released last week ranked South Korea as having the fifth-best business environment among 189 countries this year. Commendably, the country also topped the Group of 20 emerging and advanced countries and came in third among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member countries.Between June 2013 and June 2014, “Doing Business 2015: Going Beyond Efficiency,” which measures 189 economies worldwide, documented 230 business reforms, with 145 aimed at reducing the

The Korean won slumped to a fresh nine-month low against the U.S. dollar Thursday on sound economic data from the U.S. and speculation that currency authorities here may intervene to control the pace of the local currency's sharp ascent against the Japanese yen.  The won finished at 1,083.80 to the greenback, down 0.2 won from the previous session's close, marking the lowest since Feb. 3 when the comparable figure was 1,084.50. The local currency hit an intra-day low of 1,096.80 won at one point

South Korea's overseas direct investment dropped significantly from a year earlier in the first nine months of the year, a government report showed Thursday, following a recent report that top South Korean firms are now sitting on more cash than ever.   In the January-September period, the country's overseas direct investment amounted to US$22.9 billion, down 13 percent from the same period last year, according to the report from the Ministry of Strategy and Finance.  The drop was attributed to

South Korea's economy is still in a downturn despite some improvements in major indicators, a state-run think tank said in its monthly report released Thursday.  "Some indicators have recently shown mild improvements, but the country's overall economy still appears to remain in a slump," the Korea Development Institute (KDI) said.   The KDI noted the recent increase in exports, as well as real estate transactions, may indicate improvements in the whole economy.  "However, indicators that reflect

Korean won slumped to the lowest mark in over a year against the U.S. dollar Thursday, tracking other currencies' moves, on sound economic data from the U.S. and speculation that currency authorities here may intervene to control the pace of the local currency's sharp ascent against the Japanese yen.   The won was trading at 1,089.90 to the greenback as of 11:25 a.m., down 6.30 won from the previous session's close, marking the lowest since Sept. 6, 2013, when the comparable figure was 1,093.00

South Korea's stock market is forecast to trade bearish in 2015 in comparison to this year, analysts said Wednesday, stymied by a lack of growth momentum in local firms as well as unfavorable market conditions abroad.    The median of estimates from six local brokerage houses put the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at a high of2,200 and a bottom line of around 1,847 next year.  Both high and low forecasts are markedly below those predicted for 2014, with the higher end of the

South Korea's trade volume will likely reach a new annual high this year, exceeding US$1 trillion in the shortest time ever, a ranking government official said Wednesday.  "The country's overall trade volume is expected to breach the 1 trillion mark around Nov. 25 or 26," the official said, asking not to be identified.  It will mark the fourth consecutive year that South Korea has met the mark since 2011, but the first time that the threshold has been reached before the start of December, the of

Two-way trade between South Korea and Japan has decreased for three years in a row, amid frosty relations and the weakening of the Japanese yen against the Korean won, data showed Wednesday.  According to trade figures posted by Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), exports to the island nation fell 2.2 percent on-year in 2012, plunged 10.7 percent in the following year and is down 4.6 percent in the first nine months of this year.   Imports from Japan were also down in the same perio

Korea's business community for big companies on Wednesday called on the United States to ease immigration rules, expand professional visa quotas and allow the export of natural gas condensates.    At the 26th Plenary Meeting of the Korea-U.S. Business Councils meeting hosted by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) and the American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AMCHAM) in Seoul, local entrepreneurs said that despite headway made in two-way trade following the signing of the countries' fr

Korea’s consumer prices grew at a faster pace in October than a month earlier, but the growth trend remains subdued thanks to falling farming goods prices, a government report showed Tuesday.The country’s consumer price index rose 1.2 percent last month from a year earlier, quickening from September’s 1.1 percent gain. This marks the first time in four months that prices rebounded from a month earlier. The core inflation, which excludes volatile oil and food prices, rose 1.8 percent on-year, the

South Korea's top central banker on Monday called for Asian economies to step up financial integration to boost investment financing and risk sharing at a time when the global economy faces lingering uncertainties."The most important benefits expected from financial integration include easier investment financing and risk sharing through the diversification of investment opportunities," Bank of Korea (BOK) Governor Lee Ju-yeol said in a pre-released opening address at a joint conference held wit

SEJONG (Yonhap) – South Korea's trade surplus expanded from a year earlier in October as exports grew while imports shrank, the government said Saturday.The country's overall exports came to about $51.76 billion last month, up 2.5 percent from the same month last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.Imports dropped 3 percent on-year to $44.26 billion. The country posted a trade surplus of $7.5 billion, compared with a surplus of $4.88 billion in October 2013.October mark