South Korean stocks opened lower Monday despite Wall Street gains backed by stronger-than-expected US jobs data. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 6.29 points, or 0.23 percent, to 2,707.92 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Friday, data showed that the US posted the biggest job growth in almost a year in March, indicating a strong economy. Even though the strong labor market may mean interest rates may stay elevated for longer, Wall Street closed higher on the belief th

Most South Korean users of recently burgeoning Chinese e-commerce platforms were dissatisfied with various aspects of their services despite their competitive pricing, a poll showed. In the poll conducted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently on 800 consumers with experience using either AliExpress, Temu or Shein in the past year, 80.9 percent said they have experienced dissatisfaction with the services. Delayed delivery was cited as the biggest reason for dissatisfaction, at

Seoul shares dipped 1 percent Friday as investors were disappointed with hawkish comments by Federal Reserve officials ahead of US jobs data. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 27.79 points, or 1.01 percent, to close at 2,714.21. The main index has fallen 1.2 percent this week. Trade volume was moderate at 615.09 million shares worth 11.16 trillion won ($8.2 billion), with decliners outpacing gainers 633 to 244. Institutions and foreig

Seoul shares opened lower Friday as investors were disappointed with hawkish comments by Federal Reserve officials. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 23.64 points, or 0.86 percent, to 2,718.36 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.35 percent to 38,596.98 points and the tech-heavy Nasdaq declined 1.4 percent to 16,049.08. Fed officials said the US central bank needs time to be confident on inflation before starting to cut rates a

Seoul shares rebounded sharply Thursday from the previous session's dip on tech, auto gains and revived optimism for the US Federal Reserve to cut rates this year. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 35.03 points, or 1.29 percent, to close at 2,742.00. Trade volume was moderate at 468.06 million shares worth 11.64 trillion won ($8.6 billion), with decliners outpacing gainers 465 to 416. Foreigners bought a net 588 billion won worth

Seoul shares opened higher Thursday as US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reaffirmed rate cuts this year. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 31.45 points, or 1.16 percent, to 2,738.42 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The US central bank reiterated it will take a wait-and-see approach before cutting rates this year. But Powell's view that inflation figures did not materially change the Fed's overall picture gave a boost to risk assets. In Seoul, tech, auto and e

Seoul shares ended lower Wednesday to snap their three-day winning streak, as robust economic data in the United States spurred speculation that the US Federal Reserve will keep interest rates higher for longer. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 46.19 points, or 1.68 percent, to close at 2,706.97. Trade volume was heavy at 628.41 million shares worth 12.74 trillion won ($9.4 billion), with decliners outpacing gainers 632 to 246. Insti

Seoul shares opened lower Wednesday, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street, after robust US manufacturing activity spurred speculation that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates higher for the time being. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 32.21 points, or 1.17 percent, to 2,720.95 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1 percent to 39,170.24 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq shed 0.95 percent to 16,240.45. In Seoul, large-cap sto

Seoul shares closed higher Tuesday to extend their winning streak to a third day on strong gains in techs amid speculation that strong US data may prod the Federal Reserve to push back its rate-cut timetable. The Korean won tumbled to the lowest in over five months to the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 5.30 points, or 0.19 percent, to close at 2,753.16. Trade volume was heavy at 618.07 million shares worth 12.9 trillion won ($9.5 billion), with decliners outpacin

Seoul shares opened lower Tuesday on speculation that stronger than expected data may prod the Federal Reserve to push back its rate-cut timetable. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 10.12 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,737.74 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing purchasing managers' index released overnight stayed at 50.3 last month, the highest since September 2022 despite a prolonged tightening mode by the Fed. The F

Seoul shares closed higher Monday as US inflation data was in line with market expectations raising hopes that the Federal Reserve may start cutting rates in June at the earliest. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 1.23 points, or 0.04 percent, to close at 2,747.86. Trade volume was slim at 391.77 million shares worth 9.9 trillion won ($7.3 billion), with gainers outpacing losers 573 to 295. Institutions and foreigners bought a combine

Seoul shares opened higher Monday as the US Federal Reserve is expected to await more evidence that inflation is under control before cutting rates this year. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 8.11 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,754.74 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Fresh inflation data released Friday was in line with the US central bank's expectations. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said it would not be appropriate to cut rates until officials are sure inflation is on track

Foreigners net purchased over 15 trillion won worth of local shares in the first three months of the year, breaching the 15 trillion-won mark for the first time in history, data showed Saturday. Foreign investors scooped up a net 15.77 trillion won ($11.7 billion) worth of shares in the first quarter, the highest quarterly figure since the country's main stock exchange KRX began compiling such data in 1998. The previous record was 14.79 trillion won tallied in the third quarter of 2009, acc

South Korean stocks finished nearly unchanged Friday as investors took a wait-and-see stance ahead of a key US inflation report that would set the tone for the Federal Reserve's rate-setting decision. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 0.81 point, or 0.03 percent, to close at 2,746.63. Trade volume was moderate at 485.5 million shares worth 11 trillion won ($8.17 billion), with losers beating winners 603 to 270. Foreign inves

South Korean stocks opened almost unchanged Friday ahead of a key inflation report from the United States. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 0.13 point to 2,745.95 in the first 15 minutes of trading. US stocks finished mixed Thursday, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.12 percent and the Nasdaq composite lost 0.12 percent. US core personal consumption expenditures price index data, the Fed's preferred gauge of inflation, is slated for Friday. In Seoul, market