South Korean stocks opened a tad higher Monday as investors wait for the Federal Reserve chief's remarks on the US economy and clues on future monetary policy. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 9.63 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,441.7 in the first 15 minutes of trading. US stocks had ended the week on a higher note on speculations the Fed could slow down the pace of rate hikes. All three major indexes on Wall Street closed over 1 percent higher last week. Investors are kee

South Korea's on-year growth in consumer prices fell below 5 percent for the first time in 10 months, data showed Monday, although the hike in utility costs hit yet another fresh high. Consumer prices, a key gauge of inflation, rose 4.8 percent last month from a year earlier, compared with 5.2 percent growth posted in January, according to the data from Statistics Korea. Inflation stayed above 2 percent -- the central bank's inflation target over the medium term -- for the 23rd straigh

South Korean stocks closed marginally higher Friday, on growing hopes that the US Federal Reserve could go for smaller interest rate hikes despite data showing a resilient economy. The local currency gained sharply against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 4.22 points, or 0.17 percent, to finish at 2,432.07. Trading volume was moderate at 363.8 million shares worth 7.73 trillion won ($5.93 billion), with gainers outnumbering decliners 467 to 410. Federal Reserv

South Korea's financial regulator said Friday it will expand the disclosure of information on loan-deposit rate differences as part of efforts to promote competition in the banking sector amid criticism that it has been bent on making profits from the "interest business" without diversifying income sources. Banks have been providing information on deposit-loan spreads on new lending and savings since mid-2022 in a bid to enhance transparency in their operation and provide customer

South Korean stocks opened marginally higher Friday, on growing hopes that the US Federal Reserve may not raise the interest rates as aggressively as expected. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 5.75 points, or 0.24 percent, to 2,433.6 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic said Thursday that he believes the Fed should go "steady" on interest rate hikes, a dovish remark from someone known as one of the most hawkish

Export-reliant economy struggles to shake off COVID-led downfall as sales of key export item dwindles

South Korean stocks closed higher Thursday, snapping a two-day losing streak, as data suggesting China's economic recovery from the COVID-19-driven slowdown helped spur investor appetite for risky assets. The local currency rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index advanced 15 points, or 0.62 percent, to close at 2,427.85. Trading volume was moderate at 422.3 million shares worth 9.48 trillion won ($7.3 billion), with gainers outpacing decliners 495 to 389.

JB Financial Group announced Thursday that it has named Senior Vice President Song Jong-keun as its new chief financial officer. An industry veteran, Song has extensive experience in finance and business management as well as a deep knowledge and understanding of the challenges facing the traditional banking industry, JB said. Born in 1965, he received both his bachelor's and master's degrees in international economics at Seoul National University before completing his MBA at the Unive

South Korean stocks opened moderately higher Thursday, buoyed by strong manufacturing data in China that indicated it is on a path for an economic recovery. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 21.75 points, or 0.9 percent, to trade at 2,434.60 won in the first 15 minutes of trading. Data released Wednesday showed that the manufacturing activity in Asia's largest economy posted its highest improvement in more than a decade in February, with the services sector also showing s

South Korea's industrial output edged up 0.5 percent on-month in January, while retail sales extended losses to a third month, data showed Thursday. The latest rise in the industrial production came after the figure remained unchanged the previous month, according to the data from Statistics Korea. The industrial output earlier shed 1.2 percent and 0.4 percent on-month in October and November, respectively. The rebound came as the combined output in the mining, manufacturing, gas and electr

South Korea's exports fell for the fifth consecutive month in February due mainly to weak global demand for semiconductors amid an economic slowdown, the industry ministry said Wednesday. Outbound shipments fell 7.5 percent on-year to $50.1 billion in February, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Exports have logged an on-year fall since October last year amid aggressive monetary tightening by major economies to curb inflation. It is also the first

South Korean stocks closed moderately higher Tuesday amid worries the US Federal Reserve's monetary tightening may last for longer than expected. The local currency ended almost flat against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 10.21 points, or 0.42 percent to 2,412.85. Trading volume was moderate at 518.1 million shares worth 8.9 trillion won ($6.72 billion) with gainers outnumbering decliners 504 to 362. "Investors have become quite immune to the negati

South Korea's chief economic policymaker on Tuesday called for more attention to the reopening of the Chinese economy in order to address the prolonged downturn in the country's outbound shipments. At a Cabinet meeting, Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho pointed out challenges facing South Korea, such as high inflation, higher borrowing costs and the strong US dollar amid the war between Russia and Ukraine. The finance minister added each ministry should especially keep a watchful eye

South Korean stocks opened higher Tuesday, tracking gains in Wall Street overnight amid speculation that the tight monetary policy by the Federal Reserve may persist for longer than expected. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 16.01 points, or 0.67 percent, to 2,418.65 in the first 15 minutes of trading. US stocks rebounded Monday as investors hunted for bargains from last week's losses. Data showed new orders for capital goods in the world's largest economy increased

Industrial robots are found to have helped drastically reduce workplace injuries as well as improve the overall wellness of workers in labor-intensive industries, according to a report released by the Bank of Korea on Monday. The report analyzed the industrial impact of robot adoption across industries between 2010 and 2019, especially on the number of workplace injuries. According to the report, regions with more robots adopted saw fewer injuries at workplaces. More specifically, when an averag