South Korea’s current account swung back into the black in May from a deficit the previous month that snapped 23 months of surplus booked since May 2020, but the latest surplus of $3.86 million marked a fall from a year earlier, preliminary data from the Bank of Korea showed Thursday. Soaring coal, oil and gas import costs was the reason Asia’s fourth-largest economy, which heavily relies on imports for energy, posted the annual drop. The surplus in goods trade also declined to $6.6

South Korean stocks bounced back Thursday from the previous day's 20-month low as the US Federal Reserve's minutes indicated cautious optimism over the economy's long-term prospects, despite impeding rate hikes. The Korean won gained ground against the US dollar. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 42.26 points, or 1.84 percent, to close at 2,334.27. Trading volume was moderate at 333 million shares worth 7.54 trillion won ($5.89 billion) with gainers outstripping d

South Korea's economic recovery momentum has been losing steam in the face of deteriorating external conditions, such as Russia's war with Ukraine and monetary tightening modes in major economies, a state-run think tank said Thursday. Led by in-person services, domestic demand improved as outdoor activities have increased on the back of the lifting of COVID-19 virus curbs, the Korea Development Institute (KDI) said in a monthly economic assessment report. "However, as manufacturin

South Korea posted a current account surplus in May, turning around from the previous month's deficit, but its surplus was still much smaller than a year earlier as import bills remained high amid soaring energy and commodity prices, central bank data showed Thursday. The country's current account surplus amounted to $3.86 billion in May, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). It marked a reversal from the previous month when South Korea registered a current ac

South Korean stocks opened higher Thursday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street as the US Federal Reserve's latest minutes reaffirming its intent to rein in inflation through big rate hikes removed uncertainty for investors. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 23.04 points, or 1.01 percent, to 2,315.05 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The Fed minutes of its June policy meeting, released Wednesday (US time), showed that the Fed needs to raise the interest rate by anothe

South Korean stocks dipped to a 20-month low Wednesday, as bleak data from Europe and a sharp fall in oil prices underscore worries over a global economic recession. The Korean won fell sharply against the US dollar. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) retreated 49.77 points, or 2.13 percent, to close at 2,292.01, coming below the 2,300 mark for the first time since Oct. 30, 2020. Trading volume was moderate at 400.3 million shares worth 8.53 trillion won ($6.53 billion) with decliners

SEJONG -- Political heavyweights from the ruling People Power Party said they would not spare any effort to overcome a variety of economic challenges during a meeting with senior government officials and presidential aides in Seoul on Wednesday. Their meeting comes as the nation’s inflation -- 6 percent in June -- hit its highest point in more than two decades. The country is also grappling with rising interest rates, which are posing a heavy burden on households. Some noteworthy re

Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang has vowed measures to strengthen export competitiveness and maximize nuclear energy in the face of major economic challenges over surging inflation and fuel costs. "We are now facing multiple crises, as high inflation and surging energy prices have given a shock to our economy. As we are highly dependent on imports for our energy needs, we are fully feeling the pains," Lee told reporters Tuesday. In June, the country's consumer prices soared 6 percent o

South Korean stocks got off to a weak start Wednesday, as downbeat data from Europe, coupled with an energy crisis amid Russia's war in Ukraine, amplified fears over a global economic downturn. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) retreated 27.89 points, or 1.19 percent, to 2,313.89 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The steep decline in euro, Germany's trade deficit in more than three decades, and a drop in oil prices fueled concerns over a global recession, sending the main

South Korean stocks bounced back Tuesday, snapping a four-day losing streak, as investors scooped up oversold stocks ahead of the quarterly earnings season. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed up 41.44 points, or 1.8 percent, to 2,341.78. The KOSPI slid to a 20-month low Monday. Trading volume was light at 315.7 million shares worth 6.74 trillion won (US$5.18 billion), with advancing stocks far outpacing declining ones 802 to 92. &q

SEJONG -- The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the administration’s energy policy direction, which is aimed at raising the share of nuclear energy out of the nation’s total power generation from the current level of 27.4 percent. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the administration has set the goal of raising the share of nuclear power generation to 30 percent or more by 2030. The Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s energy policy direction invalidates that of the

Prices soar to 24-year high in June, first-time rate hike by 50 basis points likely

South Korea’s central bank said Tuesday that foreign reserves in June saw the sharpest decline since November 2008, when the country was dealing with the global financial crisis, feeding concerns of the weakening value of the Korean won against the US dollar. “Korea’s official foreign reserves as of end of June 2022 amounted to $438.3 billion,” the BOK said in a statement. It was down $9.43 billion on-month, data tied to the statement showed. Foreign reserves include

South Korea's exports of farm and fisheries products grew 14.6 percent in the first half of this year on solid demand for Korean food, data showed Tuesday. Outbound shipments of agricultural and fisheries goods came to $6.21 billion in the January-June period, up from $5.42 billion from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The figure represents the largest-ever tally for the first half of any year. Of the amount, sales of agricultural products ca

South Korean stocks got off to a strong start Tuesday after the key index hit a 20-month low the previous session amid global recession woes. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 18.62 points, or 0.81 percent, to 2,318.96 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Large-cap stocks gathered ground across the board, with market behemoth Samsung Electronics rising 0.7 percent and chip giant SK hynix jumping nearly 3 percent. Internet portal provider Naver also soared 3.8 percent, and major c