K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment and Changwon City, South Gyeongsang Province, will collaborate for setting up a colossal culture complex, the city mayor said on June 21.SM Entertainment along with a consortium consisting of top-tier construction companies is planning to build a nine-story complex with parking space designed to accommodate approximately 206 vehicles, near the city’s main bus terminal, Changwon Mayor Ahn Sang-soo said in a press conference.Aerial view of SM Entertainment’s cultu

[THE INVESTOR] Customer deposits at Korean securities companies have surged to a new high, data showed on June 21, as investors seek high-yielding vehicles amid record-low interest rates. On June 9, the Bank of Korea slashed its key interest rate by a quarter-percentage point to 1.25 percent in an apparent bid to cushion any fallout from the ongoing corporate restructuring drive and bolster the sputtering economy.It was the first rate cut in 12 months.According to data by the Korea Exchange and

[THE INVESTOR] The Bank of Korea said on June 21 it has collected more than 260 million dormant coins to turn them back into circulation. The central bank started the recollection campaign in May and people turned in some 267 million coins, worth 36.7 billion won (US$31.64 million), to convert them into banknotes. The result marks a 1.9 percent increase in the number of reclaimed coins from last year’s campaign, and a 1.4 percent rise in their combined value. BOK is making a big push to turn the

Government decides to expand Busan's Gimhae Airport instead

[THE INVESTOR] North Korea’s dependence on China for international trade has tripled to over 90 percent since 2000, a report showed on June 21. According to a report by Hyundai Research Institute, North Korea’s trade with China is estimated to be US$5.71 billion, accounting for 91.3 percent of Pyongyang’s US$6.25 billion trade in 2015. The figure of US$5.71 billion includes HRI’s estimate of Pyongyang’s crude oil imports from China. Pyongyang, North Korea. Young PioneerThe trade dependence figur

[THE INVESTOR] The downward spiral for Korea’s exports will likely continue for the 18th consecutive month, data showed on June 21. According to Korea Customs Service data, exports between June 1 and June 20 came in at about US$ 25.66 billion, down 12.8 percent compared to the same month last year. The customs office said that the fall in integrated circuit exports has contributed significantly to the figure for June so far. It noted that integrated circuit exports in June fell 9.1 percent compa

[THE INVESTOR] The location of a new airport in the country’s southeast will be announced at 3 p.m. on June 21, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said.The location of the new airport has been narrowed down to Miryang and Busan’s Gadeokdo Island, with the former considered to be the more likely choice. A bird's eye view of Gadekdo new airport.With the project estimated to require as much as 10 trillion won (US$ 8.6 billion), the project has been at the center of heated debate and

[THE INVESTOR] The French cultural platform Pompidou Centre is set to open a Seoul branch in March 2017 in a move that could help revitalize the Korean economy that is increasingly becoming more diverse. However, there are also doubts and concerns surrounding the plan due to the rumored royalty payment, which is expected to reach 1.5 million euros (2 billion won). The amount would be paid annually to the Paris Pompidou Centre. The Korean art industry is questioning whether the branch’s contribut

[THE INVESTOR] Labor and management representatives continued to run parallel last week at the fourth and latest round of negotiations on setting the minimum wage across the country next year.Labor groups insist that the 2017 minimum wage should be pegged at 10,000 won ($8.59) per hour, up 65.8 percent from 6,030 won this year, while business circles call for a freeze.According to data from the Minimum Wage Commission, Korea’s minimum wage rose by an annual average of 8.7 percent over the 15 yea

[THE INVESTOR] Bank of Korea’s cut in the benchmark rate has lowered commercial banks’ interest rate offering on deposits to a record-low level.Commercial banks say they -- as well as depositors -- are also suffering low profitability as a result of the BOK’s all-time low base rate of 1.25 percent. Over the past two years, the central bank has lowered the rate by 125 basis points from 2.5 percent in July 2014. A savings product offered by a commercial bank provides customers with only a 0.01 per

[THE INVESTOR] The new anticorruption act set to take effect in September will cost local businesses 11.6 trillion won (US$9.96 billion) on an annual basis, a think tank claimed.Commonly known as the Kim Young-ran act, it will place a ceiling on the value of gifts -- cash and goods -- and meals individuals in selected professions can have in their professional capacities. The government announced its enforcement in May. According to a report compiled by the Korea Economic Research Institute, if

[THE INVESTOR] The nation’s ratio of income tax revenue to gross domestic product has been rising at a fast pace in recent years largely due to the increasing number of taxpayers, data showed on June 20. The country’s revenue from earned income and global income tax came to 36.8 trillion won (US$31.4 billion) in 2014, accounting for 2.48 percent of the overall tax revenue of 1,485.1 trillion won, according to the report based on data from the Finance Ministry and the National Tax Service.Earned