Mid-credit rate borrowers in Korea have been typically underserved, ostracized by conventional banks. Has K bank made difference?

Soaring credit-based loans are now believed to have been used to fill in the shortage of mortgage loans from govt. measures

South Korean stocks closed lower Monday as foreigners and institutions scaled back on their stockholding on profit taking. The Korean won rose against the US dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 3.37 points, or 0.14 percent, to close at 2,355.00. Trade volume was moderate at 204.5 million shares worth 3.753 trillion won ($3.3 billion), with decliners outnumbering advancers 478 to 308.Institutions dumped a net 103.98 billion won worth of stocks and foreigners also sold a ne

Global equity funds have posted a net outflow from South Korea for the first time in 32 weeks amid foreign investors' massive profit-taking, industry data showed Monday. Four international funds investing in South Korea withdrew a net 55 billion won ($48.3 million) from the local stock market in the week to Wednesday, according to the data by Mirae Asset Daewoo Securities Co. and global fund tracker Emerging Portfolio Fund Research.The equity funds, including US investment fund Global Emerging M

Samsung and two other leading family-controlled conglomerates in South Korea accounted for a big chunk of listed firms' first-half earnings, data showed Monday, pointing to a growing concentration of corporate income in a few titans.According to the data by the Korea Exchange, 29 listed units of Samsung, LG and SK groups posted a combined net income of 35.61 trillion won ($31.2 billion) in the January-June period, up a whopping 90.3 percent from the same period a year earlier.The amount took up

South Korean shares extended losses late Monday morning as foreigners dumped more local stocks on profit-taking. The won traded higher against the dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 4.02 points, or 0.17 percent, to 2,354.35 as of 11:20 a.m.Foreigners sold a net 42 billion won ($37 million) worth of stocks. Institutions also offloaded 26 billion won worth of shares, to weigh down the main index. A strong rally in the KOSPI index is not expected this week as investor

South Korean stocks opened lower Monday tracking with foreigners turning net sellers on profit taking. The won rose against the dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 2.40 points, or 0.10 percent, to 2,355.97 in the first 15 minutes of trading.This week, investors are expected to take a wait-and-see attitude ahead of two major events that could affect the markets.  They are the annual economic policy symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and the Ulchi-Freedom Guardi

Questions persisted on whether South Korea‘s stock markets fully escaped from the geopolitical risks that had weighed on the monthslong record run until late July, despite the rebound seen last week. Over the past week, the Kospi rose 1.8 percent to close at 2,358.37 Friday, including 0.14 percent retreat on Friday. The main bourse index gained for three consecutive trading days until Thursday. The stock markets did not open on Tuesday for a national holiday.The recovery was mainly led by

Stocks related to eggs rebounded from persisting egg fiasco in Korea, while those that benefited from it failed to maintain the rally

Global rating appraiser Standard & Poor's on Friday reaffirmed its long-term sovereign rating on South Korea at AA, with its outlook also remaining stable, despite the heightened geopolitical tensions on Korean Peninsula. solider"S&P Global Ratings affirmed its 'AA' long-term sovereign credit rating" on South Korea, the agency said in its latest release. "The stable outlook on Korea reflects our expectation that geopolitical risks in the Korean peninsula will not escalate

South Korean stocks fell Friday, hit by a sell-off by institutional investors. The Korean won fell against the US dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index declined 3.3 points, or 0.14 percent, to close at 2,358.37. Trade volume was moderate at 195 million shares worth 4.05 trillion won ($3.54 billion). The local stock market opened lower, tracking a loss on Wall Street overnight following a deadly attack in Spain and political uncertainties in the United States. "The decl

South Korean shares traded lower late Friday morning but pared part of their earlier losses on the back of net purchases by retail investors. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 8.91 points, or 0.38 percent, to 2,352.76 as of 11:20 a.m.Large caps traded mixed with market kingpin Samsung Electronics falling 0.94 percent, and global chipmaker SK hynix up 0.45 percent.Hyundai Motor rose 0.35 percent, and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors traded 0.43 percent higher. POSCO, the No. 1

South Korean shares opened weak Friday, tracking losses on Wall Street overnight on a deadly attack in Spain and political uncertainties in the United States. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index slipped 17.82 points, or 0.75 percent, to 2,343.85 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Most large caps traded mixed with market kingpin Samsung Electronics falling 1.06 percent.Top automaker Hyundai Motor rose 0.69 percent, and No. 1 steelmaker POSCO declined 0.75 percent.The local currency wa

Foreign ownership of stocks traded on South Korea's secondary stock market has hit a new high, data showed Friday, as offshore investors turn to undervalued tech firms there after exiting the main bourse. As of Thursday, offshore investors held 25.98 trillion won ($22.8 billion) worth of shares traded on the KOSDAQ market for tech and smaller firms, the highest level since the market opened in 1996, according to the data from the Korea Exchange.Foreign ownership came to nearly 12 percent of the

South Korean stocks marked the third day of gains Thursday, helped by foreign and retail buying. The Korean won rose against the US dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 13.41 points, or 0.57 percent, to close at 2,361.67. Trade volume was moderate at 226 million shares worth 4.42 trillion won ($3.88 billion). The local stock market opened higher, tracking gains on Wall Street overnight. Seo Sang-young, an analyst at Kiwoom Securities, projected the local stock market