The Bank of Korea is likely to raise the benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 1.75 percent this Thursday as Asia’s fourth-largest economy combats persistent inflation and shrinking growth, according to eight out of nine economists polled by The Korea Herald. But the central bank, which usually changes its rate in 25-basis point increments, is unlikely to back a sudden 50-basis point raise because there’s ample room left for more hikes in the latter half of this year when inflation c

South Korean shares advanced Friday as investors scooped up oversold stocks and pinned hopes for expanded business ties between South Korea and the United States. The Korean won steeply rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 46.95 points, or 1.81 percent, to close at 2,639.29 points. After a volatile week from high inflation, the key stock index gained 1.35 percent from a week ago. Friday's trading volume was moderate at about 743 million s

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South Korea is expected to face a "grave" risk from rising inflation for the time being, as the recovery of consumption will further add price pressure amid high energy costs, a senior government official said Friday. The government plans to beef up its monitoring of key items, including cooking oil and petroleum products, in a bid to ease the burden from elevated inflation, according to First Vice Finance Minister Bang Ki-sun. "Price situations facing the South Korean economy are

South Korea's producer prices grew for the fourth straight month in April as hikes in energy and raw material prices drove up costs of manufacturing products, central bank data showed Friday. The producer price index, a major barometer of consumer inflation, stood at 118.02 in April, up 1.1 percent from a revised 116.70 tallied a month earlier, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). From a year earlier, the index jumped 9.2 percent, faster than the previous month�

South Korean shares opened higher Friday, buoyed by strong advances by tech and auto heavyweights, despite overnight falls on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) had added 25.64 points, or 0.99 percent, to trade at 2,617.98 points as of 9:15 a.m. On Thursday, the index dipped 1.28 percent. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite declined, largely on continued pressure on inflation hikes. KOSPI's top cap Samsung Electro

Seoul shares dropped by over 1 percent to snap their two-day winning streak, as investors' appetite for risky assets fell amid fears about high-flying inflation pressure that sparked a massive sell-off on Wall Street. The Korean won steeply fell against the US dollar. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) retreated 33.64 points, or 1.28 percent, to close at 2,592.34 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 663 million shares worth some 9.7 trillion won ($7.6 billion), with loser

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South Korea's tax revenue increased 10.4 trillion won ($8.16 billion) in March from a year earlier, as the collection of corporate and value-added taxes rose amid the economic recovery, the finance ministry said Thursday. The government collected 41.1 trillion won in taxes in March, compared with 30.7 trillion won the previous year, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. South Korea has continued to log a surplus of tax revenue, as the economy has been on a recovery track. The co

Seoul shares opened steeply lower Thursday, tracking an overnight plunge on Wall Street that stemmed from fears about high-flying inflation pressure. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 47.02 points, or 1.79 percent, to 2,578.96 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. The S&P 500 sank 4.04 percent Thursday, the sharpest drop since June 2020, as high inflation and lackluster earnings by giant retailers stoked concerns about a possible recession. The Dow Jones Industrial Average

The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office said Wednesday that it has reinstated the joint team on financial and securities fraud that was disbanded by the previous Moon government, a day after the new justice minister called for it at his inauguration. The joint team, which was set up in 2013 but dissolved in 2020 amid criticisms that prosecutors abused their authority, epitomized the power and influence wielded by the prosecution. The team, dubbed the market’s “angel of death,

SEJONG -- The Yoon Suk-yeol administration is expected to slash the maximum rate in corporate tax, which has been set at 25 percent since the previous Moon Jae-in government, remarks from officials including new Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho suggested. While some claim cutting down corporate tax is inevitable, as such deregulatory moves could improve the business environment, opponents say it would undermine the country’s fiscal soundness. In his recent reply to the National Assembly fo

South Korean shares opened higher Wednesday, tracking overnight rallies on Wall Street amid lingering uncertainty over higher inflation and combative monetary tightening in major economies. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 23.55 points, or 0.90 percent, to 2,643.99 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, US stocks closed higher, boosted by a rally in tech stocks, in the face of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's hawkish comments. Powell said the Fed was ready to act a

A recent report that three employees had stolen 3 billion won ($2.3 million) from South Korea’s biggest cosmetics maker Amorepacific in the wake of other huge embezzlements at the country’s major banks is fueling calls for tougher oversight. The employees at the cosmetics maker had allegedly used the money to buy stocks, cryptocurrencies and gamble by falsifying company documents such as tax records, a local report said Tuesday. Amorepacific said the employees were facing disciplina

South Korean shares rose nearly 1 percent Tuesday as investors picked up recently downbeat issues, including Samsung Electronics, amid worries over inflation and aggressive monetary tightening in major economies. The Korean won gained ground against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 23.86 points, or 0.92 percent, to close at 2,620.44 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 859 million shares worth some 9.3 trillion won ($7.3 billion), with gainers