The Financial Supervisory Service plans to publicize its yearly assessment of about 70 financial firms’ consumer protection, involving cases of customers’ complaints and dispute arbitration, next month.Attention is being paid to whether Kiwoom Securities in the brokerage industry and Chartis in the nonlife insurance industry will be given the lowest grade of “class 5 (or poor)” for the 10th consecutive year.Between 2004 (for the 2003 assessment) and 2012 (for the 2011 assessment), the two financ

금융감독원은 내달 금융권 민원발생평가 결과(2012년도분)를 발표할 예정이다.금융회사 70여곳이 1등급(우수)을 놓고 경쟁하는 가운데 키움증권과 차티스손해보험의 ‘진검승부’도 눈여겨볼 대목이다. 키움과 차티스는 2004년(2003년치)부터 작년까지 9년 연속 각 권역별 최하위인 5등급(불량)을 받은 바 있다.키움증권의 경우 온라인 주식거래 부문에서 7년째 국내 점유율 1위를 지켰다. 반면 소비자보호 부문의 최저등급은 고객신뢰도 확보에 큰 부담요소로 작용하고 있다.금감원은 또 최근 여의도 키움증권 본사에 12명의 검사역을 파견, 내부통제소홀 여부 등을 집중 점검했다.차티스손보는 연례민원평가 결과가 발표되는 오는 4월께 사명을 AIG손해보험으로 재차 변경할 계획이다. AIG손보와 더불어 과거 이 회사가 사용한 또다른 브랜드는 AHA손해보험이다. (코리아헤럴드 / 김연세 기자)<관련 영문기사>Kiwoom Securities, Chartis may top dishonor in custome

The brokerage industry has downplayed some market observers’ prediction that some major financial firms will be severely damaged from the possible collapse of the 31 trillion won ($28.4 billion) urban development project in Yongsan, Seoul.As the nation’s largest-ever project faced bankruptcy involving worries over capital erosion and liquidation of the state-controlled rail operator KORAIL, some critics commented on the feasibility that the financial services industry will go through heavy losse

The Ministry of Strategy and Finance has been saddled with two contradictory tasks: boosting sagging private consumption and raising tobacco prices.Last year, financial policymakers were skeptical about a cigarette price hike pushed by the Health and Welfare Ministry. They cited possible negative effects on consumer prices and household consumption.Further, the Finance Ministry denied the rumors in January that policymakers are poised to raise cigarette prices or create a new tax on the products

Recent Korean history reveals a sobering possibility: It may only be a matter of time before North Korea launches a sudden, deadly attack on the South. And perhaps more unsettling, Seoul has vowed that this time, it will respond with an even stronger blow.Humiliated by past attacks, South Korea has promised _ as recently as Tuesday _ to hit back hard at the next assault from the North, opening up the prospect that a skirmish could turn into a wider war.Lost in the headline-making North Korean bl

U.K. industrial production unexpectedly fell in January as factory output slumped, fueling concerns that Britain may slip into a triple-dip recession.Production fell 1.2 percent from December, when it jumped 1.1 percent, the Office for National Statistics said today in London.The median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey of 29 economists was for a 0.1 percent increase. Manufacturing also unexpectedly declined, by 1.5 percent. The pound fell.The U.K. economy shrank in the fourth quarter and the

Prosecutors on Tuesday demanded a seven-year prison term for a South Korean man suspected of spying for North Korea.The 59-year-old suspect, identified only by his surname Jang, is accused of voluntarily receiving spy training from a North Korean agent and handing over military secrets."Severe punishment is necessary because (the suspect) voluntarily handed over military secrets to a North Korean spy but denies the crime and does not repent," prosecutors said during a hearing at the Suwon Distri

More and more market participants are betting that the Bank of Korea will lower the benchmark interest rate in March ― the first monthly rate-setting under the Park Geun-hye administration.According to a poll of 132 bond traders conducted by the Korea Financial Investment Association, 46 percent of respondents predicted a rate cut at the meeting of the BOK’s monetary policy committee, slated for Thursday.Some economists and analysts, however, claimed that a rate cut from the current 2.75 percent

Major financial indices recorded limited volatility Monday, despite growing worries over negative effects on the stock and foreign exchange markets from geopolitical tensions on the Korean Peninsula.The movements of stock prices and foreign exchange rates Monday drew wide interest as South Korean and U.S. troops launched their annual joint drills earlier in the day.Though stocks fell below the 1,990 mark and the U.S. dollar was traded above 1,100 won during the morning trading session, the two m

Local financial policymakers said that the stock and foreign exchange markets may be swayed by the recent situation involving the intentional community’s disciplinary measures against North Korea.As the U.N. Security Council decided to impose additional sanctions Thursday on North Korea for its Feb. 12 nuclear test, Korea’s financial regulators and economic policymakers have embarked on closer monitoring of the financial market.Though provocative actions from the North had minimal impact on the

금융당국은 8일 유엔이 북한 제재를 결의한 것과 관련, 국내 시장동향 점검을 강화하겠다고 밝혔다.추경호 금융위원회 부위원장은 “과거 북한발 위험이 국내외 금융시장에 미치는 영향은 대체로 제한적이었으나 추가 도발 시 시장변동성이 커질 가능성이 있다”고 말했다.이날 종합주가지수와 원-달러 환율 등은 보합세를 유지했다. 코스피의 경우, 전 거래일 대비 되레 0.08% 상승한 2006.01에 장을 마감했다.일부 시장참가자는 지정학적 리스크가 주식 및 외환시장에 선반영된 측면이 있다는 견해를 내놨다.유엔 안전보장이사회는 지난 7일 미사일이나 핵개발에 쓰일 가능성이 있다고 판단되는 물품의 수출입을 금지하고 북한에 대한 금융서비스 제공을 제한하는 내용의 결의안 2094호를 만장일치로 채택했다. (코리아헤럴드)　<관련 영문기사>Escalating N.K. threats may sway local stocksInvestors seen to be taking wait-and-see attitude a

Commercial banks saw the delinquency rate on loans collateralized by apartments climb to the highest level in more than six years, regulatory data showed Thursday.According to the Financial Supervisory Service, the delinquent mortgage loan ratio was 0.94 percent in January, compared with 0.74 percent a month earlier and 0.69 percent a year earlier.Rising sharply to 0.94 percent, last recorded in October 2012, it marked the highest rate in 76 months since the sourced loan ratio reached 1.03 perce

Tongyang Life Insurance said Wednesday that it intended to bid for ING Life Korea, heralding close competition with powerful investors such as Hanwha Life and Kyobo Life.In its regulatory filing on the Korea Exchange, Tongyang Life clarified that it was “considering participating in the coming bidding to take over ING Life Korea, as part of our strategic viewpoint.”The firm’s business policy on the mergers and acquisition market came several weeks after the nation’s No. 2 (Hanwha) and No. 3 (Kyo