A US trade panel on Wednesday again postponed a much-awaited ruling on a trade secret dispute involving South Korean battery makers LG Energy Solution Ltd. and SK Innovation Co. to Feb. 10. The US International Trade Commission (ITC) postponed the final ruling slated for Dec. 10 without elaborating on the reason, putting off the schedule for the third time. LG Energy Solution, which supplies batteries to Tesla and General Motors, filed trade complaints with the ITC in early 2019, claiming SK

South Korean exports of instant noodles jumped more than 30 percent in the first 10 months of the year amid the coronavirus pandemic, a report said Thursday. Overseas shipments of instant noodles, or "ramyeon" in Korean, came to $573 million in the January-October period, up 32.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the report from the Korea International Trade Association (KITA). The surge was attributed to the global popularity of home cooking in the wake of the coronavirus ou

Stock analysts are setting bullish targets on South Korea‘s main stock market index Kospi, as optimism for strong earnings growth next year abound, while investors backed by ample market liquidity are zeroing in on equities as their choices are increasingly limited. The views came as the Kospi on Wednesday resumed its record run by closing at 2,755.47. The index rebounded 2 percent from a day prior when Kospi retreated from the five-trading-day rally since the start of December. Kospi, w

2nd annual Global Innovative Growth Forum kicks off virtually

South Korean stocks closed at an all-time high Wednesday, driven by progress of COVID-19 vaccines amid optimism over US stimulus talks. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 54.54 points, or 2.02 percent, to close at 2,755.47. Trading volume was high at about 1.2 billion shares worth some 16.8 trillion won ($15.5 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 658 to 192. Foreigners bought a net 162 billion won, while retail investo

South Korea’s financial behemoth Shinhan Financial Group is slated to gain full ownership of its newly-acquired subsidiary Neoplux -- a former venture capital arm under Doosan Group -- as soon as the two sides complete a small-scale stock exchange at the end of this month, a filing showed Wednesday.  According to DART, the Financial Supervisory Service’s electronic disclosure board, the banking giant will carry out the small-scale stock exchange with Neoplux on Dec. 30. Starti

An exchange-traded fund operated by the Vietnam branch of South Korea‘s leading asset management firm Mirae Asset Global made a market debut in the Southeast Asian country‘s stock market, the company said Wednesday. The so-called Mirae Asset VN30 Exchange Traded Fund is designed to invest in 30 blue-chip Vietnamese companies, including Vingroup Joint Stock Company, Vietcombank and Vinamilk. Its shares account 76 percent of the total market capitalization of the nation’s public

South Korean banks' household loans continued to grow at a faster clip in November, fueled by the strong growth of non-mortgage loans, central bank data showed Wednesday. The value of outstanding bank loans to local households came to 982.1 trillion won ($905.3 billion) as of end-November, up 13.6 trillion won from the previous month, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). The November reading, which is compared with a 10.6 trillion-won gain in October, marked the highest monthly

South Korea said Wednesday it will make efforts to help local exporters utilize a mega trade pact accounting for one-third of the world's gross domestic product, hinting the deal could give a boost to the steel and automobile segments. "Amid the growing uncertainties stemming from COVID-19 and protectionism, the RCEP will grant exporters access to new markets, along with unified trade rules," the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a statement. In November, members of ASEA

South Korea's agricultural exports rose nearly 7 percent on-year over the January-November period, data showed Wednesday, setting a fresh high despite the new coronavirus pandemic. Outbound shipments of agricultural products came to $6.8 billion over the first 11 months of 2020, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The segment was among a handful of winners in South Korean exports, which suffered from the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pand

South Korea's vice finance minister warned Wednesday against potential excessive overheating in stock and property markets, saying that asset prices could spike amid ample liquidity and the economic recovery. First Vice Finance Minister Kim Yong-beom made the remarks as the country's stock prices hit a fresh record high in recent sessions and housing prices have not stabilized despite a series of the government's measures. "We need to be wary of the possibility that market volatility coul

South Korean stocks opened higher Wednesday, tracking overnight Wall Street gains, as Britain started mass-vaccinations against COVID-19 amid optimism over US stimulus talks. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 23.39 points, or 0.87 percent, to 2,724.32 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Local stocks traded bullish with reignited stimulus hopes in the United States, following Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's offer to set aside some deadlock factors from the relief pa

South Korea’s secondary bourse has continued to rally over the past few weeks, touching the 930-point mark during early trading on Tuesday and marking an 18-year high. The tech-heavy bourse reached 2,834.40 on March 10, 2000, the result of so-called “dotcom fever.” Since that bubble burst, it has never again surpassed the 943 points posted March 22, 2002. Considering the recent record-breaking rallies in the nation’s main bourse, Kospi, expectations are also high for K

‘Investors should look beyond current expansionary fiscal frame’

South Korean stocks dipped more than 1.5 percent Tuesday, snapping a five-session winning streak on concerns over the new coronavirus resurgence around the globe. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) retreated 44.51 points, or 1.62 percent, to close at 2,700.93. Trading volume was high at about 1.4 billion shares worth some 16.9 trillion won ($15.6 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 567 to 277. Foreigners sold a net 846 bi