DSC Investment, South Korea’s venture capital house trading on the Kosdaq stock market, said Tuesday its first-half performance was buoyed by the successful stock market debut of its portfolio companies. The company last Friday announced it logged 8.6 billion won ($7.3 million) in revenue during the January-June period, up 36.4 percent from a year earlier. Its net profit came in at 4.1 billion won, up 60 percent, during the cited period. The company said the improved earnings were attrib

South Korean shares tanked Tuesday, following resurging coronavirus cases in Seoul and surrounding areas. The benchmark Kospi closed down 59.25 points, or 2.46 percent, to 2,348.24 points while the tech-heavy Kosdaq declined 34.81 points, or 4.17 percent, to close at 800.22 points. The Kospi, which remained above the 2400-level in recent days, dropped below the threshold as fears of a resurgence of COVID-19 spooked investors. Korea added 246 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, after reporting 1

South Korean shares plunged by more than 2 percent Tuesday as investor sentiment turned sour amid the resurgence of new coronavirus infections in the country. The Korean won rose against the US dollar.  The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) tumbled 59.25 points, or 2.46 percent, to close at 2,348.24, marking the steepest fall after June 15.  Trading volume was high at about 898 million shares worth some 17.3 trillion won ($14.6 billion), with losers outnumbering

South Korean shares opened lower Tuesday, following a sharp increase in new coronavirus infections in Seoul and surrounding areas over the holiday weekend. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 4.31 points, or 0.18 percent, to 2,403.18 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Fears of a resurgence of COVID-19 spooked investors. South Korea reported 197 new cases Monday, a temporarily designated holiday, and 279 on Sunday. The daily new cases surpassed the 200 mark for th

Pangyo, a South Korean version of Silicon Valley, is garnering attention as an emerging destination for office investment as key regulations affecting the area are set to expire, a report showed Monday. The stabilizing occupancy in Pangyo 1st Techno Valley and Pangyo Alpha Dome City and the 10-year restrictions being gradually lifted from Pangyo 1st Techno Valley starting this year will generate new investment opportunities despite COVID-19, according to a report by real estate services firm Co

Financial behemoth KB Financial Group and gaming firm NCSoft are planning to set up a joint investment firm specialized in offering investment consulting services based on artificial intelligence technology, news reports said Monday. The two companies have recently started discussing the establishment of the joint venture, and the planned joint company will likely be operated under KB subsidiary KB Securities. The partnership is seen as an unusual move as few gaming companies here participa

To reduce volatility in the stock market exacerbated by the novel coronavirus pandemic, lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party are pushing to extend the six-month ban on short selling, news reports said Monday. Short selling, or shorting, is a strategy of borrowing, selling and repurchasing a stock to return it to the lender. In effect, short sellers are betting on a drop in stock prices. The practice, often conducted by institutional investors and offshore investors, has received flak f

Despite many benefits, walletless society still faces resistance

South Korean shares ended their nine-session winning streak Friday, as investors attempted to cash in part of recent gains. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 30.04 points, or 1.23 percent, to close at 2,407.49. Trading volume was high at about 956 million shares worth some 16.4 trillion won ($13.8 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 531 to 337. Foreigners sold a net 462 billion won, while retail investors purchased a

Hannam The Hill, a premium residence located in central Seoul’s Hannam-dong, continued to stand as the most expensive apartment in South Korea, extending its record for five consecutive years, data showed Friday. According to data compiled by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, one unit of the apartment with an exclusive use area of 240.305 square meters was valued at 7.3 billion won ($6.16 million) in April this year. The latest amount was up 200 million won from the

South Korean shares opened a tad lower Friday as investors attempted to cash in part of recent gains. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 4.71 points, or 0.19 percent, to 1,995.73 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The pullback was largely attributed to foreign investors' profit-taking of market heavyweights. The nine-session winning streak that ended Thursday raised valuation pressure, analysts said. Most large caps traded lower. Market bellwether Samsung Elec

Hopes rise that Kospi’s record run will continue to year-end

Morgan Stanley Capital International announced Wednesday it has added three South Korean biotechnology stocks to its MSCI Korea Index. This comes as the technology prowess of the companies has come under the limelight during the novel coronavirus outbreak and subsequently drove up their stock price. 　 Alteogen, Seegene and Shin Poong Pharma have been added to the index, replacing Daewoo Engineering & Construction, Helixmith and Hyundai Department Store. Seegene is Korea’s leading ex

The market capitalizations of biopharmaceutical company Samsung Biologics and chemical-to-battery firm LG Chem have soared over the past six months, reflecting market interest in IT and bio sectors amid the coronavirus pandemic. Samsung Biologics’ market cap came to 55.7 trillion won ($47 billion) as of Wednesday, the third-largest in Korea‘s main stock bourse Kospi, data by the Korea Exchange showed Wednesday. This was followed by the fourth-largest LG Chem, whose market cap stood

The South Korean government said Wednesday that it will soon announce the results of its inspections into illegal transactions involving expensive real estate in Seoul and the surrounding areas. “Having tracked transactions of expensive houses reported earlier this year, state agencies found some irregularities, and the government will announce the final results in August,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki at a meeting with related ministers. “The