The finance ministry said Wednesday the government will push to make it mandatory for companies to put shrinkflation warning signs on their products if they reduce packet contents without a price fall to match. The measure is in response to growing public complaints about shrinkflation practices, where companies downsize their products while keeping prices unchanged without any notice, shifting a rise in production costs to consumers amid high inflation. After a monthlong investigation, the gove

Experts urge Korea to brace for global economic instability, US elections next year

S&P rating expert says US-China tensions could take indirect toll on Seoul's creditworthiness

South Korean stocks closed higher for the third straight trading day on Tuesday amid the growing hope over a possible slowdown in US inflation and the Federal Reserve's potential signal for rate cuts next year. After choppy trading, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 9.91 points, or 0.39 percent, to close at 2,535.27, extending its winning streak to a third day. Trade volume was low at 365 million shares worth 7.49 trillion won ($5.7 billion), with losers outpacing winner

South Korean stocks opened higher Tuesday as investors awaited this week's US inflation data, as well as the Federal Reserve's rate-setting meeting. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 12.57 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,537.93 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The United States is set to release its consumer price index Tuesday, with investors also closely eyeing the future monetary policy direction from the Federal Open Market Committee meeting. In Seoul, tech shar

South Korean stocks closed slightly higher on Monday as investors awaited clues over future US monetary policy directions ahead of this week's Federal Reserve meeting. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 7.51 points, or 0.3 percent, to close at 2,525.36 Trade volume was moderate at 424 million shares worth 7.97 trillion won ($6 billion), with winners outnumbering losers 479 to 375. Foreigners bought a net 4.46 billion won worth of shares, while individuals offloaded a net

South Korea's exports rose 3.3 percent on-year in the first 10 days of December despite the fall in sales of semiconductors, data showed Monday. Outbound shipments reached $15.79 billion in the Dec. 1-10 period, compared with $15.29 billion tallied a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service. Per-day exports jumped 18 percent on-year to $2.26 billion. The number of working days during the cited period came to seven days, compared with eight days from a year earlier.

South Korean stocks opened higher Monday ahead of the Federal Reserve's rate-setting meeting slated for this week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 8.58 points, or 0.34 percent, to 2,526.43 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Investors are awaiting this week's Federal Open Market Committee meeting, with its key rate anticipated to remain steady between 5.25 and 5.50 percent. In Seoul, tech shares traded higher, with LG Energy Solution adding 0.23 percent and SK hyn

South Korea will establish a government-wide commission for the comprehensive management of supply chains of items necessary for major industries and the people's everyday lives amid growing supply chain risks, the finance ministry said Monday. The government also plans to create a fund to secure critical items and support investment in relevant facilities as the country seeks to reduce dependence on China and other nations to better ensure stable supply chains of key items, according to th

Local banks are considering a financial support program worth 2 trillion won ($1.52 billion) for owners of small businesses by giving back a part of their loan payments, amid prolonged inflation and high interest rates. The measure was discussed Thursday during a task force meeting of local financial institutions and regulatory bodies aimed at finding means to support the public livelihood, industry sources said Sunday. The first of the collective efforts is set to be a cash-back rewards scheme

South Korea's exports of dried seaweed hit a new record on the back of growing awareness of healthy food around the globe, data showed Sunday. Outbound shipments of dried seaweed, called "gim" in Korean, reached $670 million over the January-October period, up 20.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. The ministry noted the combined export volume came to $700 million as of Nov. 10, surpassing the previous record of $690 million for the en

China's consumer prices experienced their fastest decline in three years this November, while factory-gate deflation deepened, indicating increasing deflationary pressures as weak domestic demand casts doubt on the economic recovery The consumer price index dropped 0.5 percent both from a year earlier and compared with October, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Saturday. That was deeper than the median forecasts in a Reuters poll, which predicted 0.1 percent declin

South Korean stocks gained more than 1 percent Friday, led by the strong performance of big-cap tech shares that tracked overnight gains on Wall Street. The local currency sharply rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 25.78 points, or 1.03 percent, to finish at 2,517.85. The secondary KOSDAQ jumped 2.11 percent to end at 830.37. The Kospi's trade volume was moderate at 421.4 million shares worth 7.69 trillion won (US$5.88 billion), with winners ou

South Korean stocks got off to a strong start Friday tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 20.03 points, or 0.8 percent, to 2,512.10 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, all three major US indexes gained ground, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite up 1.37 percent, as communication and IT shares rallied on favorable news in the artificial intelligence sector. Alphabet, the parent company of Google, jumped more than 5 percent on t

South Korea logged a current account surplus for the sixth straight month in October on the back of a trade surplus, a reduction in the service deficit and increased dividend income from overseas, central bank data showed Friday. The country's current account surplus reached $6.8 billion in October, widening from the surplus of $5.42 billion the previous month, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea. October's surplus came as the country's trade balance has remained