South Korean stocks closed almost flat on Thursday following the central bank's decision to freeze the key interest rates, analysts said. The local currency fell against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 2.40 points, or 0.12 percent, to 2,002.13. Trading volume was low at 320.7 million shares worth 4.01 trillion won (US$3.64 billion), with gainers outnumbering decliners 489 to 324."Local shares traded flat as investor sentiment was dented by the central

South Korean stocks traded 0.82 percent lower late Thursday morning as foreigners and institutions scaled back their holdings, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) dropped16.45 points to 1,983.28 as of 11:20 a.m.Large caps were mixed. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics lost 1.31 percent, but chip giant SK hynix added 1.59 percent.The local currency ended at 1,101.65 won against the greenback as of 11:20 a.m., down 4.25 won from the previous close. (Yonhap News

South Korean stocks turned lower after opening a tad higher Thursday, led by losses in blue-chip exporters amid a policy void due to stalled government reorganization, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shed5.11 points, or 0.26 percent, to 1,994.62 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Tech heavyweight Samsung Electronics slipped 0.3 percent, with No. 1 steelmaker POSCO losing more than 1 percent. In contrast, telecom shares trended upwards, with top mobile carr

South Korean stocks traded 0.15 percent lower late Tuesday morning as foreigners extended their selling mode, analysts said.Reversing earlier gains, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) slipped 2.99 points to 2,000.36. Large caps were mixed. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics fell 0.4 percent and steel giant POSCO lost 0.88 percent, but Hyundai Motor rose 0.96 percent. Hyundai Elevator surged 14.81 percent on talks over a potential management feud.The local currency was cha

South Korean stocks got off to a strong start on Tuesday fueled by gains in automakers, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added2.09 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,005.44 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Hyundai Motor, the country's top automaker, gained 0.96 percent, and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors rose 1.15 percent.In contrast, market bellwether Samsung Electronics slipped 0.27 percent.The local currency was trading at 1,095.7 won to the U.S.dollar as o

South Korean stocks closed 0.13 percent lower on Monday as North Korean risks dented investor sentiment despite positive U.S. jobs data, analysts said. The local currency fell against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell2.66 points to 2,003.35. Trading volume was moderate at 387.5 million shares worth 3.63 trillion won (US$3.32 billion), with decliners outnumbering gainers 540 to 280."Heightening geopolitical tension is weighing on the local stock market d

President Park Geun-hye appointed the foreign minister and a dozen other Cabinet members on Monday as she seeks to better handle tensions with North Korea and other pressing issues despite a parliamentary standoff over how to reorganize her administration.Park has been without a new Cabinet since taking office on Feb.25 as the parliamentary confirmation process for her ministerial nominees has been delayed and her government reorganization proposal has been stuck in parliament due to opposition

South Korean stocks traded 0.08 percent lower late Monday morning as foreigners and retail investors opted to scale back holdings, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell1.66 points to 2,004.35 as of 11:20 a.m.Large caps were mixed. The country's top automaker Hyundai Motor slumped 1.64 percent and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors lost 1.5 percent.In contrast, market bellwether Samsung Electronics gained 0.33 percent.The local currency was changing hands at 1,0

South Korean stocks got off to a weak start on Monday due mainly to falls in shares of key exporters, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell11.45 points, or 0.57 percent, to 1,994.56 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Major blue chips lost ground, with market bellwether Samsung Electronics slipping 0.6 percent and top automaker Hyundai Motor falling 2.11 percent.The local currency was trading at 1,097.3 won to the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 7 won from F

The Export-Import Bank of Korea could assist Incheon International Airport Corp to finance Myanmar’s new airport project as the state-run airport operator is currently looking into ways to fund the potential deal worth some $600 million, said sources familiar with the situation.IIAC could seek Korea Eximbank, which has a non-binding agreement with IIAC to support the export of its airport operation know-how, to back its consortium through the policy bank’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund o

한국수출입은행은 미얀마 양곤 신공항 수주 및 개발을 위해 인천국제공항공사의 프로젝트 금융 지원을 할 수 있다고 업계관계자는 말했다.수은은 대외경제협력기금(EDCF) 또는 장기저리대출 통해 인천국제공항공사에 대한 지원이 가능하다고 했다. 수은과 인천공항공사는 해외공항사업의 금융지원 및 진출을 위해 업무협약을 체결한 바 있다.인천공항공사 컨소시엄은 최근 미얀마정부로부터 7개 컨소시엄과 함께 양곤에 위치한 한타와디국제공항 개발 프로젝트의 자격심사를 통과했고 본 입찰 중이며 신공항의 우선협상대상자 선정은 6월쯤 발표 될 예정이다.수은은 올해 국내 기업들이 동남아 개발도상국가에서 각종 인프라 프로젝트 수주할 수 있도록 적극적으로 금융 지원할 것이라고 밝힌 바가 있다.수은은 해외 발전 플랜트, 수처리 같은 인프라 사업에 21조원 공급 할 예정이고 원조자금인 EDCF를 작년 1.2조원에서 1.4조원 규모로 확대할 것이라고 했다.자원이 풍부한 미얀마는 경제제재 풀린 후 인프라 개발을 위해 해외투자

South Korea is considering ways to extend its atomic energy cooperation pact with the United States due to difficulties in reaching an agreement on the accord's amendment, a government official said Sunday.Revising the civil nuclear cooperation agreement is one of the most urgent and thorniest issues between the two nations. The so-called 123 agreement, signed in 1974, expires in March next year. Given the time for domestic procedures, Seoul and Washington need to reach a deal by the first half

Uhuru Kenyatta narrowly won Kenya's presidential election Saturday, urging calm and pledging to work with rivals and cooperate with the international community.Kenyatta, son of Kenya's founding president and one of Africa's richest men who also faces an international crimes against humanity trial, scraped by with50.07 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff against his closest rival Raila Odinga.However Odinga, the outgoing prime minister, said he would contest the results in court, raising tensio

경찰이 영국 경제전문 주간지 이코노미스트의 저작권을 침해한 혐의를 받고 있는 한 국내 어학원에 대한 조사를 진행 중이라고 23일 밝혔다.이코노미스트의 발행사 이코노미스트그룹은 서울 시내의 한 어학원을 상대로 지적재산권 침해 소송을 제기했다.이코노미스트그룹 측은 고소장을 통해 이 어학원이 이코노미스트의 저작물을 지난 2009년부터 2011년 사이에 교재 내용으로 사용해 약 1천6백억 원에 달하는 수익을 올렸다고 주장했다.이에 어학원 측은 해당 잡지의 내용을 사용한 점을 시인하면서도 수익을 도모해 교재를 판매한 것은 아니라고 주장했다.사건을 담당한 서울 서초구 경찰서의 한 담당자는 “어학원 측이 합의를 원하고 있으며 저작물 사용에 대해 발행사 측과 정식 제안을 하고자 한다”고 밝혔다.그러나 이코노미스트그룹은 이 제안을 거절한 것으로 알려졌다.“발행사는 어학원 측이 자사의 저작물을 상업적으로 이용했다는 사실을 부인하고 있어 합의를 거절했다”고 법무법인 대륙아주 소속의 변호인 박종현이 밝혔

스페인 프로축구 FC바르셀로나의 골잡이 리오넬 메시(25)가 정규리그 5경기 연속 2골 활약을 이어가며 40년 만에 한해 최다 골 기록을 경신했다. 메시는 10일(한국시간) 스페인 세비야의 베니토 비야마린 경기장에서 열린 2012 -2013 프리메라리가 15라운드 레알 베티스와의 원정 경기에서 전반 16분 선제골과 전반 25분 결승골을 모두 몰아쳐 바르셀로나의 2-1 승리를 책임졌다. 이로써 메시는 올해 통산 85호 골과 86호 골을 달성, 1972년 게르트 뮐러(독일)가 보유했던 한해 최다 골 기록(85골)을 넘어서며 축구 역사를 새로 썼다. 지난 6일 벤피카와의 유럽축구연맹(UEFA) 챔피언스리그 조별리그 원정 경기 도중 왼쪽 무릎을 다쳐 실려나갔던 메시는 이날 활약으로 부상 우려를 말끔히 씻어내며 팀 승리와 대기록 작성이라는 '두 마리 토끼'를 모두 잡았다. 메시는 또 올 시즌 정규리그에서 23골을 쌓아 전날 레알 바야돌리드와의 원정(3-2 레알 마드리드 승)에서 침묵한 크리스