South Korea’s leading banks last week posted record-high first-half earnings, attributing the result to the economic recovery, cost savings, structural improvements and success in nonbanking sectors.But their positive performance was mostly due to an increase in interest rates, a factor weighing on the nation’s households as debt levels continue to rise.The rates for business loans, in contrast, were eased during the period, placing the issue as a task for the Moon Jae-in government

South Korean stocks finished lower Tuesday on profit-taking, after the key index hit a record high in the previous session, analysts said. The Korean won fell against the US dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 11.63 points, or 0.47 percent, to close at 2,439.90. Trade volume was moderate at 270 million shares worth 5.3 trillion won ($4.7 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 499 to 300.The local stock market opened nearly flat as investors sought profit-taking after

South Korea’s composite consumer sentiment index inched up 0.1 point to 111.2 this month from June, indicating a phase of adjustment in anticipation for President Moon Jae-in’s new policies, the Bank of Korea said Tuesday.The CCSI has moved upward six straight months and been in optimistic terrain for four consecutive months, inching closer to the 111.4 recorded in January 2011. However, the increase in July was close to “insignificant,” Park Sang-woo, an official at the

As part of his first duties in office, the newly appointed Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Paik Un-gyu sent a letter to his US counterpart agreeing to hold a joint committee on the two countries’ free trade agreement, but with a different timeline, venue and agenda, the ministry said Tuesday. 　Making no mention of trade revision deliberations, the Seoul government suggested instead that the committee be used to discuss how to objectively analyze and assess the effects of the KORUS F

The South Korean government will unveil its plan to increase taxes for the super rich and biggest businesses next week to secure funds for expanded welfare costs over the next five years, the country's top economic policymaker said Tuesday."The tax-hike issue has been raised in government policy meetings, with the ruling party calling for it," Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon said at a press conference on the new Moon Jae-in government's economic policy plan. "The ministry is consid

The employment rate of senior citizens in South Korea gained ground in May from a year earlier as a growing amount remained in the job market or sought work amid the rapidly aging population, government data showed Tuesday.The employment rate of those aged between 55 and 79 reached 54.8 percent as of May, up 1.1 percentage points from a year ago, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.The number of the employed in the age group rose 424,000 to 7.08 million over the cited period, whil

South Korea will cut credit card processing fees for small merchants starting later this month, in the latest move to push forward pro-consumer regulations against commission fees charged by financial service providers, the financial regulator said Tuesday. The move is in line with a campaign pledge by President Moon Jae-in that the new administration aims to ease financial burdens on consumers by assessing "propriety" of commission fees charged on banking and financial services. 

South Korean stocks traded lower late Tuesday morning, as investors opted to cash in recent gains after the market closed at a fresh-high level in the previous session.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 3.83 points, or 0.16 percent, to 2,447.70 as of 11:15 a.m.Market kingpin Samsung Electronics fell 0.98 percent, while major chipmaker SK hynix declined 1.92 percent.LG Chem, the country's top chemical company, fell 1.19 percent, while AmorePacific, the No. 1 cosmetics maker, was

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday urged swift execution of the extra budget recently approved by the parliament, also stressing the need to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the additional spending."Regarding the supplementary budget, the issue is now to execute it with speed. I want you to now show that the extra budget will in fact lead to new jobs, a reduction in the youth jobless rate and economic growth with actual proof," the president said at the start of a weekly Cabi

The effective corporate tax rate for the country's largest companies fell below the official rate of 22 percent last year due to various adjustments, data from a conglomerate research firm showed Tuesday.Chaebul.com analyzed 131 companies who earned over 200 billion won ($179.37 million) in pre-tax profits and found their average corporate tax rate came to 18.9 percent after deductions.The selected companies included 11 affiliates of Hyundai Motor Group, nine from Samsung Group, seven under SK,

The move by the US Federal Reserve to reduce its massive asset holdings is expected to increase interest rates in emerging markets as a strong US dollar could spark equities fund outflows, a local think tank said Tuesday. The Fed is widely predicted to begin gradually scaling back the size of $4.5 trillion in Treasury bonds and other bond assets from September, as it has already raised interest rates from record lows set following the 2008 financial crisis. According to a report by local think t

South Korea on Tuesday raised its growth forecast for 2017 by 0.4 percentage point to 3 percent as Asia's fourth-largest economy has been basking in brisk exports led by the global economic recovery. For the next year, the government expects the economy to pull off around 3 percent growth, according to the new economic policy plan endorsed by the Cabinet."In 2017, the economy will likely grow an improved 3 percent on the back of an upturn in exports and investment and fiscal expansion broug

S. Korea's big name exporters have stepped up their lobbying activities in the United States after the Donald Trump administration took office, data showed Tuesday, apparently to smooth out potential trade issues.US Senate Lobbying Disclosure Database showed that tech giant Samsung Electronics spent $1.47 million on lobbying activities in the first half of this year, triple the $490,000 spent in the same period in 2016. The total this year breaks down to $680,000 in the first quarter and $790,00

South Korean stocks opened nearly flat Tuesday as investors sought profit-taking after the market closed at a record-high level in the previous session.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 0.35 point, or 0.01 percent, to 2,451.88 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Market kingpin Samsung Electronics was 0.63 percent down, and SK hynix, a major chipmaker, also fell 1.23 percent.Hyundai Motor, the No. 1 automaker, moved up 1.03 percent.The local currency was trading at 1,117.00 won

South Korea's No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix Inc. said Tuesday its second-quarter net profit shot up nearly ninefold, apparently helped by a strong average sales price of dynamic random-access memory and NAND chips.The record-breaking net profit came to 2.46 trillion won ($2.2 billion), soaring from 286 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing. Operating profit also advanced 573.7 percent over the cited period to reach a record 3.05 trillion won. Sales came to an all-time hi