World's No. 3 pension fund posts record investment returns of W127tr last year

South Korean stocks finished higher for the third straight session to hit an almost 2-year high Thursday on the back of gains in financial, auto and other blue chips. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index climbed 25.19 points, or 0.94 percent, to 2,718.76. It marked the highest since April 22, 2022, when the index finished at 2,704.71 points. Trade volume was heavy at 587 million shares worth 13.5 trillion won ($10.24 billion), with winner

Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun on Thursday asked petroleum companies to refrain from increasing the prices of their products amid lingering inflation and external uncertainties. The remark came as global oil prices continued to remain volatile due to the prolonged war between Russia and Ukraine, along with the geopolitical instability in the Middle East. "The government is prioritizing taming inflation as the top task for the economy and is currently utilizing all available measures to stab

South Korean stocks opened marginally higher Thursday led by financial and tech companies. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 4.37 points, or 0.16 percent, to 2,697.94 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Financial shares got off to a good start, continuing their upward momentum after gains in the past two sessions. Shinhan Financial added 2.10 percent, and Hana Financial rose 0.99 percent. Tech behemoth Samsung Electronics also rose 0.40 percent, and home appliance maker LG Ele

Commission-free US platform aims high with imminent Korean launch

DGB Financial Group said Wednesday it launched its first overseas subsidiary Hi Asset Management Asia, an asset management arm, in Singapore. DGB Financial Group Chairman Kim Tae-oh, Korean Ambassador to Singapore Hong Jin-wook as well as financial firm officials from Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and Keppel Group were in attendance at the opening ceremony held on Tuesday. “We will spare no effort in helping HiAMA serve as a global headquarters for key financial players and groups in Singa

South Korean stocks finished higher Wednesday, tracking overnight Wall Street gains driven by megacap tech stocks. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 11.76 points, or 0.44 percent, to 2,693.57. Trade volume was moderate at 491 million shares worth 10.7 trillion won ($8.14 billion), with winners beating losers 444 to 429. Foreign investors led the overall gains, buying a net 334 billion won worth of shares, while institutions and re

Banking shares rally on optimism over ‘corporate value-up’ program

South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Wednesday, tracking overnight Wall Street gains driven by megacap tech stocks. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 8.85 points, or 0.33 percent, to 2,690.66 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, Wall Street logged strong gains as investors shored up Nvidia, Oracle and other big tech stocks despite higher-than-expected February consumer price data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.61 percent, and the S&P 500 gained 1.

South Korean stocks ended higher Tuesday as investors scooped up tech, battery and other blue chips. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 21.97 points, or 0.83 percent, to 2,681.81. Trade volume was moderate at 390 million shares worth 9.45 trillion won ($7.3 billion). Losers, however, beat winners 495 to 365. Institutions led the overall gains, buying a net 508 billion won, while foreign and retail investors unloaded shares. Han Ji-

South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Tuesday on gains in tech, energy and other blue chips. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 5.99 points, or 0.23 percent, to 2,665.83 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Tech shares opened a tad higher, with No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix adding 0.12 percent and LG Electronics rising 1.15 percent. Energy and chemical shares went up, with leading refiner SK Innovation and top chemical maker LG Chem climbing 1.69 percent and 2.75 percent, respec

Korea Federation of Banks Chair Cho Yong-byoung on Monday expressed regrets over massive losses inflicted on consumers who invested in derivatives products underlying a key Hong Kong stock market index, sold by local lenders. Earlier in the day, the country’s regulator Financial Supervisory Service advised banks and securities firms to compensate for losses incurred from their incomplete sales of equity-linked securities products tracking Hong Kong's H Index. The total loss on such

The price of bitcoin jumped to a new record in Korea on Monday, breaking through 100 million ($76,365) for the first time. Bitcoin, the world’s biggest cryptocurrency, traded at above 100 million won on the nation’s largest crypto exchange Upbit at 4:32 p.m., a surge since the price exceeded 98.4 million won on Friday. The record figure was in line with the global rally. According to global price-tracking platform CoinMarketCap, the price of bitcoin surpassed $71,200 as of 4:48 p.m.

South Korean stocks ended lower Monday to snap their two-day winning streak as investors locked in part of gains after a recent rally. The local currency rose sharply against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 20.51 points, or 0.77 percent, to 2,659.84. Trade volume was moderate at 383 million shares worth 8.69 trillion won ($6.63 billion), with losers beating winners 517 to 353. Foreigners and institutions led the decline, dumping a net 107 billion won and 112.3

With losses from equity-linked securities tied to a Hong Kong index expected to reach almost 6 trillion won ($4.57 billion) this year, South Korean financial regulators announced Monday that sellers may face full compensation for the loss. The announcement follows the Financial Supervisory Service's inspection of local banks and brokerages that sold large amounts of ELS products tied to the troubled Hang Seng China Enterprises Index. From Jan. 8 to Friday, the watchdog conducted a thorough