Korean shares traded lower late Monday morning, but pared earlier losses on the back of foreign buying.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 0.33 point, or 0.02 percent, to 2,016.93 as of 11:20 a.m.Large caps traded mixed with market kingpin Samsung Electronics adding 0.53 percent, and global chipmaker SK hynix up 0.46 percent.AmorePacific, the largest cosmetics maker, dipped 0.59 percent.In contrast, top automaker Hyundai Motor fell 0.75 percent, and its smaller affiliate Kia Mot

[THE INVESTOR] U.S. beef imports increased significantly as South Koreans turned away from their expensive local beef hanwoo, industry data showed last week. U.S. beef imports increased by 25.7 percent from January to May this year from the same period last year, to reach 61,062 tons, according to a report by the National Agriculture Cooperative Federation, better known as NongHyup. (123rf)South Korea became the third largest beef importer in the world during the period, after Japan and Mexico.

To raise two children in South Korea, it costs an average of 1.28 million won ($1,128) a month, the results of a survey showed Sunday.Education is the biggest financial burden, although the level of related expenditures vary considerably in accordance with income level, according to the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs.It conducted a poll on 6,172 women, aged between 15 and 49, with two kids nationwide as of August last year.South Korea's birthrate of 1.12, recorded in 2015, is one

Design & Co-Innovation Center chief Han seeks to bring a paradigm shift in organizational culture

South Korean shares maintained momentum on Friday, going up for a fifth consecutive day thanks to an unrelenting buying spree by foreigners. The South Korean won rose against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index climbed 8.49 points, or 0.42 percent, to 2,017.26.Trade volume recorded 473.6 million shares worth 4.5 trillion won (US$3.9 billion), with decliners outnumbering advancers 410 to 382.Foreigners net-purchased 485 billion won worth of shares, while individuals an

South Korea's exports to China will continue to decline partly due to a change in China's economic structure, a central bank report said Friday, pointing to a need to adjust the country's own economic structure to meet changing demands in the world's second-largest economy.According to the report from the Bank of Korea, the country's exports to China are expected to shrink by an average $5 billion per year over the next five years.Such an outlook comes as China is increasingly focusing on its do

South Korean shares edged up in late morning trade Friday on continued foreign buying.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 12.74 points, or 0.63 percent, to 2,021.51 as of 11:20 a.m.Foreign traders purchased a net 192 billion won ($169 million) worth of shares, while individuals and institutional investors were net sellers. It's boosted by external factors such as additional positive data on the U.S. economy and a global monetary easing mood, market watchers said.The U.S. Produce

South Korea's trade surplus hit an all-time high in June as a protracted economic slowdown dragged down imports at a faster pace than exports, customs data showed Friday.The country's trade surplus came to a record $11.5 billion last month, up sharply from $6.99 billion in the previous month, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service.The amount of the June trade surplus broke the earlier record of $10.2 billion set in November last year.The figure also marked a 15.5 percent on-year ri

[THE INVESTOR] The changing structure of Chinese economy could cut South Korea’s exports by US$ 25 billion until 2020, the Bank of Korea said in a report on July 15. In the report, the central bank said that should China’s economy become more spending-centric, the rate at which South Korea’s exports to China increases will drop by 0.8 percentage point each year.The parameters in the scenario are the ratio between of China’s gross domestic product and consumer spending rises 5 percentage points b

South Korean shares opened higher on Friday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street.    The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 11.47 points, or 0.57 percent, to 2,020.24 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Market watchers pay attention to whether the KOSPI will maintain momentum after a four-session winning streak.The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 134.29 points, or 0.7 percent, to 18,506.41. Line Corp., a Japanese massaging app operator owned by South Korea's interne

Central bank maintains key rate at 1.25%

Concerns remain over extensive number of buildings with asbestos, high reconstruction costs

South Korea's central bank on Thursday named low global oil prices as a main cause of the country's slow consumer price increase in the first half, insisting its local demands have remained strong and will continue to expand.In the first six months of the year, the country's consumer prices have gained only 0.9 percent from the same period last year, falling far short of the central bank's 2 percent target for the 2016-2018 period, the Bank of Korea noted."This was partly because an upward press

South Korea's central bank on Thursday revised down its growth outlook for Asia's fourth-largest economy to 2.7 percent from 2.8 percent three months earlier, citing sluggish consumption at home and abroad.The quarterly revision by the Bank of Korea came shortly after the government slashed its outlook for 2016 to 2.8 percent from 3.1 percent."The local economy will maintain its modest growth trend on expansionary economic policies, but the bank believes local and external uncertainties surround