South Korea's exports fell 16.1 percent on-year in the first 20 days of May due to a prolonged slump in the global chip industry, data showed Monday, with the country's outbound shipments set to lose ground for seven consecutive months. The country's outbound shipments stood at $32.4 billion in the May 1-20 period, compared with $38.6 billion a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service. Imports shed 15.3 percent on-year to $36.7 billion during the cited period, resulting

People in South Korea's top 1 percent net asset bracket had at least around 3 billion won ($2.26 million) in net assets in 2021, according to a local insurance firm’s report, Sunday. Net assets refer to the value of a person’s assets such as houses, cars, investments and cash, minus liabilities. According to Hanwha Life Insurance, individuals who had more than 2.9 billion won in net assets sat in the top 1 percent net asset bracket, while the threshold for the 0.1 percent bracke

Pressure off of central bank as Fed’s monetary tightening cycle nears end

South Korea's largest dental implant maker announced Thursday it will discuss the firm's delisting from the secondary bourse Kosdaq at its extraordinary general meeting slated for June 28. Osstem Implant plans to initiate the delisting application process once the resolution is passed at the general meeting that will be attended by private equity funds Unison Capital Korea and MBK Partners, the firm's largest shareholders. The MBK Partners-Unison Capital Korea consortium has acq

Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho met with Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming on Friday to discuss economic ties and other bilateral issues, his office said. During the meeting, Choo expressed hope that South Korea and China can continue economic cooperation based on mutual respect and interests, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The finance minister also requested China's support for the preparation of the bilateral economic ministerial meeting scheduled to be held

Seoul shares opened higher Friday, tracking Wall Street gains overnight, amid hopes that the US government will be able to avert a debt default. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 10.5 points, or 0.42 percent, to 2,525.9 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3 percent to 33,535.91, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.5 percent to 12,688.84. The US government needs to lift the debt ceiling to cover its future spending pl

South Korean stocks rose to an over two-week high Thursday as investor sentiment was buoyed by rising hopes that Washington would reach a deal on the debt ceiling. The Korean won gained ground against the greenback. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 20.74 points, or 0.83 percent, to finish at 2,515.4. It is the highest closing point since 2,524.39 on May 2. Trading volume was moderate at 558.3 million shares worth 7.64 trillion won ($5.72 billion), with winners far outnumberin

Seoul shares opened higher Thursday after US stocks rallied on optimism that a deal to raise the US debt ceiling is within reach. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 15.4 points, or 0.62 percent, to 2,510.06 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 1.2 percent to 33,420.77, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.3 percent to 12,500.57. The US government needs to lift the debt ceiling to cover its future spending plans and pr

South Korean stocks finished a tad higher Wednesday as investors remained lukewarm amid lingering US debt woes and weaker-than-expected retail sales data. The Korean won gained ground against the greenback. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 14.42 points, or 0.58 percent, to close at 2,494.66. Trading volume was moderate at 555.6 million shares worth 7.07 trillion won ($5.28 billion), with gainers beating decliners 552 to 318. Foreign investors and institutions scooped up a co

Key strategic technologies to be designated for aggressive govt. suppor

South Korean stocks started nearly unchanged Wednesday amid protracted US debt-ceiling negotiations. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 0.11 point to 2,480.13 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 1.01 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite declined 0.18 percent as investors awaited developments in the negotiations on debt deals. In Seoul, big caps traded in mixed territories. Top carmaker Hyundai Motor rose 0.74 perce

South Korea will penetrate deeper into the global seafood market with the goal of exporting $4.5 billion worth of goods in the sector by 2027, the oceans ministry said Wednesday. The amount represents around a 50 percent rise from a record high of $3.15 billion tallied in 2022, on the back of the global popularity of "gim" and abalone, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Gim, or dried seaweed, is usually roasted with sesame oil and fine salt, and served as a side dish in

Seasoned financial expert says Korea in need of export diversification, economic vulnerability assessment

South Korean stocks opened higher Tuesday as investor sentiment was buoyed by ongoing US debt ceiling negotiations. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index climbed 16.3 points, or 0.66 percent, to 2,495.65 in the first 15 minutes of trading. US stocks finished a tad higher overnight on rising optimism that Washington would reach a debt ceiling deal. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.14 percent, and the tech-savvy Nasdaq Composite went up 0.66 percent. In Seoul, market bellwether Sa

The Bank of Korea and Samsung Electronics on Monday have joined hands to develop Central Bank Digital Currency technology that enables transactions to be made without internet access. The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding at Samsung’s headquarters in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province to strengthen their partnership on the development of CBDC, a form of digital currency issued by the central bank, as well as a solution for offline transactions using the virtual money. Samsung Electroni