The unprecedented rally in South Korea’s stock market might ease off this week, according to analysts who cited vulnerabilities such as the US Federal Reserve Board’s possible hawkish signs and volatility in the markets and currency exchange rate.Multiple analysts forecast the main bourse index would hover at around the current 2,450 mark, with the lowest at 2,410 and the highest at 2,470.A slight hawkish tone from the July meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee held from Tuesd

South Korean small and medium-sized enterprises "indirectly exported" over 80 trillion won ($71.5 billion) worth of goods in 2015 by supplying raw materials or intermediate products to local exporters, an industry report showed Sunday. According to the report by the Korea International Trade Association, all production-related materials supplied to exporters, was valued at 170.8 trillion won ($152.6 billion) in the one-year period with SMEs responsible for 82.7 trillion won worth of go

Talks to forge a mega free trade agreement encompassing Asia and Oceania will take place in India this week with countries striving for an early settlement of the accord, the government said Sunday.The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said its chief FTA negotiator Yu Myeong-hui will lead a 60-person team to Hyderabad, India for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership talks that run from Monday through Friday. RCEP involves the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, South Korea, Ja

The number of counterfeit South Korean banknotes detected here in the first half of this year rose 36.5 percent from a year earlier, the central bank said Sunday. A total of 912 counterfeit bills were found in the January-June period, up from 668 in the same period last year, according to the Bank of Korea.The increase came as 469 10,000-won ($9) counterfeit bills with the same serial number were found.In South Korea, the 10,000-won bill is the second-highest denomination behind the 50,000-won b

South Korean banks posted surprisingly good first half earnings on the back of an economic recovery and an uptick in interest rate, industry data showed Sunday, stirring up concerns over their bonus plans amid ballooning household debt. According to the data, the country's four biggest banking groups -- Shinhan Financial Group Co., KB Financial Group Inc., Woori Bank and Hana Financial Group Inc. -- posted a combined 5.88 trillion won ($5.25 billion) in net profit for the first six months of the

South Korea's sole bourse operator has sent a warning to all listed companies against possible insider trading as it cracks down on unfair stock transactions, market sources said Sunday. In the warning sent to a combined 2,151 companies listed on the country's benchmark KOSPI, the secondary KOSDAQ and the tertiary KONEX on Thursday last week, the Korea Exchange said it will keep closer tabs on company officials who engage in stock trading using nonpublic information, sources said.The move came a

The size of assets under management by South Korea's state pension fund surpassed the 600 trillion won ($536.2 billion) mark for the first time ever, the government said Sunday. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the total value of funds controlled by the National Pension Service reached 601 trillion won as of Monday, making it the world's third-largest in terms of size after Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund and the Government Pension Fund of Norway. The NPS has over 20 m

The government will adopt "universal" mobile subscription fees sometime next year in line with its efforts to reduce the cost burden for mobile phone users, the ICT ministry said Friday.According to the draft version of the revision to the telecommunication law -- subject to parliamentary endorsement -- a service package with between 1 and 1.3 gigabytes of data priced at 20,000 won ($18) per month will be introduced, said the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning.The new package

Controversies continue to bubble over expectations of a tax hike to finance President Moon Jae-in’s key state affairs agenda.Though the presidential office and ruling party leadership have said any extra taxes will be limited to corporations and the richest individuals, criticism persisted on the apparent inconsistency in the state chief’s words.Throughout the presidential election campaign and up until recently, Moon has been aspiring to achieve his visions of welfare and fair econo

South Korean stocks ended up at a fresh record high Friday on the back of strong foreign buying amid expectations of solid corporate earnings results. The won sharply rose against the US dollar.  The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 8.22 points, or 0.34 percent, to close at 2,450.06. Trade volume was moderate at 246.05 million shares worth 5.11 trillion won ($4.6 billion), with decliners outnumbering gainers 404 to 396.  Foreigners bought a net 282.43 billion won worth

South Korea's economy likely grew at a slower pace in the second quarter from three months earlier, a leading provider of economic analysis said Friday.Growth of South Korean gross domestic product "likely cooled to 0.6 percent" in the June quarter, Moody's Analytics said, noting the country's exports didn't maintain their burly first quarter pace as a blip in tech demand and slower Chinese demand hurt shipments.South Korea's GDP expanded 1.1 percent in the January-March period from th

South Korea's top financial regulator on Friday called for the swift clearing out bad loans, saying that there is the need to achieve tangible results next month. Choi Jong-ku, the new chairman of the Financial Services Commission, made the remarks earlier in the day as he held the first meeting with senior regulatory officials in Seoul. The task is one of the five-year policy road maps outlined by President Moon Jae-in.Next month, the government plans to draw up a package of fresh measures