While the economic forecasts for Korea in the third quarter of the year have been mostly gloomy in the wake of the so-called G2 risks -- China’s economic slowdown and the likelihood of the U.S. key rate hike -- new data released Thursday offer some hope of a revival.The two external uncertainties still linger on, which is restricting both economic vitalization and hampering the stock and currency markets.                                                             Federal Reserve chair Janet Yel

Following the introduction of bancassurance in 2003, the local first-tier banks have started rolling out “financial department stores,” which provide customers with both convenience and comprehensive services.KB Financial Group on Thursday launched a complex branch, which would cover four major segments ― banking, securities, life insurance and nonlife insurance ― for the first time in the local banking industry in Yeouido, Seoul. KB Financial Group chairman and KB Kookmin Bank CEO Yoon Jong-kyo

South Korea’s exports are expected to post negative growth this year in the wake of an economic slowdown in its major trade partners including China, officials and experts said Tuesday.Exports account for about half of the nation’s gross domestic product. And the volume, including intermediate goods for processing trade, shipped to China accounts for 25 percent of Korea’s total exports.The nation’s central bank and some private think tanks expect the 2015 exports to drop by 4 percent to 6 percen

The uncertainty about financial volatility at home and abroad is expected to linger on until late October as the U.S. Federal Reserve decided to keep interest rates on hold in its September meeting amid split predictions in the market, analysts said Friday.As Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen took an ambiguous position over the timing of an increase, South Korea’s financial indexes moved in a limited boundary on the day, despite the relief from a variety of risks upon a U.S. rate hike. The benc

The uncertainty involving the likelihood over the U.S. rate hike is expected to linger on at least five more weeks until late October, as the Federal Open Market Committee overnight chose to freeze in its September rate-setting amid split predictions in the market, analysts said Friday.As Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen took an ambiguous position over the timing of raising the rate, South Korea’s financial indexes moved in a limited boundary on the day, despite the relief from a variety of ri

Stocks and currency gained sharply in the domestic market Wednesday on the back of Standard & Poor’s upgrade of Korea’s sovereign rating a day earlier and the overnight increase of the U.S. bourse.The benchmark KOSPI rose 37.89 points, or 1.96 percent, from the previous trading session to close at 1,975.45. This marked the highest in one month since it reached 1,983.46 on Aug. 13.The equities’ gain is drawing attention as it comes ahead of the interest rate-setting meeting of Federal Open Market

South Korean households’ debt problem is higher than other emerging economies, a research report from a Swiss financial organization showed Tuesday.According to the Bank for International Settlements, the nation’s ratio of household debt to gross domestic product was 84 percent at the end of 2014. The debt figures include microcredit loans issued to the self-employed.Korea topped the list among the 14 major emerging countries, whose consumer loans were studied by the BIS, in the household debt-G