South Korea plans to announce additional measures next month to help industries facing labor shortages fill job vacancies, the finance ministry said Wednesday. The move came as some 216,000 job openings remained vacant in April, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, amid the country's falling unemployment rate. "Along with customized measures for each sector, we plan to beef up employment services, apply flexible rules to utilize the foreign workforce, improve the working e

South Korean stocks opened slightly lower Wednesday as investors remained cautious over the Federal Reserve's rate decision later this week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 6.17 points, or 0.23 percent, to 2,631.78 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.43 percent and the Nasdaq gained 0.83 percent as a modest rise in April inflation fueled hopes for the Fed's rate pause. In Seoul, most shares traded mixed. Market bel

Import prices fell in May to end a three-month rise on the back of falling oil prices, central bank data showed Wednesday. The import price index for May stood at 135.54, down 2.8 percent from April's 139.45, according to the data compiled by the Bank of Korea. The index also fell 12 percent compared with a year earlier, marking the sharpest decline since May 2020, when the comparable figure was 13 percent. Import prices of coal and petrochemical goods dropped 5.8 percent on-month last mont

South Korean stocks started higher Tuesday, as investors awaited US inflation data and the Federal Reserve's rate-setting meeting later this week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 11.4 points, or 0.43 percent, to 2,640.75 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.56 percent and the Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.53 percent. The US central bank is set to have its two-day meeting starting Tuesday. In Seoul, large-cap shares led the b

Seoul shares ended lower Monday as investors await the US Federal Reserve's interest rate decision this week. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. After choppy trading, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 11.81 points, or 0.45 percent, to close at 2,629.35. Trading volume was moderate at 547.41 million shares worth 9.25 trillion won ($7.2 billion), with decliners outpacing gainers 576 to 303. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.1 percent to 33,876.78 on Friday (US

South Korea's exports moved up 1.2 percent on-year in the first 10 days of June due to a greater number of working days, data showed Monday, although overseas sales of semiconductors continued to remain sluggish. The country's outbound shipments reached $15.3 billion in the June 1-10 period, compared with $15 billion tallied a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service. Imports fell 20.7 percent on-year to $16.7 billion during the period, resulting in a trade de

South Korean stocks started a tad higher Monday ahead of the US Federal Reserve's rate-setting meeting later this week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 3.64 points, or 0.14 percent, to 2,644.8 in the first 15 minutes of trading. In a meeting to be held Tuesday and Wednesday, the US central bank is expected to end its hawkish approach and hold the key rates unchanged. Seoul shares traded mixed across the board. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics Co. stayed flat and it

South Korea and Saudi Arabia will form a 208.4 billion won ($155 million) joint fund to help Korean startups attract investments and advance to the Middle Eastern market, government officials said Sunday. Saudi Arabia will inject 195.4 billion won into the fund and Korea Venture Investment Corp. will invest the remaining 13 billion won in it, according to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. From Saudi Arabia, Saudi Venture Capital Co. and Public Investment Fund (PIF) Jada will make an investment

Solar power generation accounted for close to 40 percent of South Korea's overall electricity demand at one point in April, industry data showed Sunday, suggesting it has emerged as a major source of energy in the country. A total of 21,778 megawatts was generated through solar power between noon and 1 p.m. on April 9, accounting for 39.2 percent of the country's total power use of 55,577 megawatts, according to data from the Korea Power Exchange and state utility Korea Electric Power

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. was the most preferred stock as gifts among domestic investors last month, a local brokerage analysis showed Sunday. Shares in Samsung Electronics topped gifting stock services of the home trading and mobile trading systems operated by the country's seven securities companies in May, according to the brokerages' analysis. The seven securities firms are NH Investment & Securities Co., Samsung Securities Co., Hana Securities Co., KB Sec

Seoul shares ended higher Friday amid expectations that the US Federal Reserve may pause its rate hike march next week. The Korean won sharply rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 30.31 points, or 1.16 percent, to close at 2,641.16. Trading volume was moderate at 569.97 million shares worth 10.79 trillion won ($8.4 billion), with gainers outpacing losers 488 to 376. Institutions and foreigners bought a combined 842 billion won worth of stocks, offsetti

South Korea's current account returned to a deficit in April due to decreased dividend payments from overseas and a deficit in the travel-related account, central bank data showed Friday. The country's current account deficit reached $790 million in April, swinging from a surplus of $160 million a month earlier, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea. In January, the country also suffered a record deficit of $4.21 billion amid an extended decline in outbound shipments

Seoul shares opened higher Friday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street, with investors awaiting the US Federal Reserve's rate decision next week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 10.85 points, or 0.42 percent, to 2,621.70 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5 percent to 33,833.61 and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 1 percent to 13,238.52. In Seoul, tech, auto and airline stocks led gains. Market bellwether Samsung Elect

Seoul shares finished lower Thursday, as rate hike fears resurfaced ahead of US inflation data and the Federal Reserve's rate decision next week. The Korean won rose slightly against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 4.75 points, or 0.18 percent, to close at 2,610.85. Trading volume was moderate at 570.8 million shares worth 11.25 trillion won ($8.63 billion), with losers outpacing gainers 503 to 369. Institutions and retail investors scooped up a net 316.1

South Korean shipyard Samsung Heavy Industries Co. said Thursday it has won an approval in principle for the conceptual design of a liquefied carbon dioxide carrier from a local certification agency. The AIP from the Korean Register means that Samsung Heavy Industries' conceptual design of the storage tank of a 40,000-cubic-meter LCO2 carrier has been confirmed to meet the agency's technical requirements and standards for safety, the shipbuilder said. Samsung Heavy Industries said it h