[KH Explains] Why Korea's so tough on short selling

Since November, South Korea has intensified its crackdown on illegal short selling by institutional investors, uncovering widespread practices among global banks. In an interim results announcement earlier this month, the Financial Supervisory Service revealed that all nine banks investigated had engaged in illegal short selling totaling approximately 211.12 billion won ($155.8 million) in Korean stocks. With ongoing investigations into the remaining foreign five banks, this figure is expected t

May 19, 2024

Korea Eximbank extends $120m loan to Cambodia for road development

The state-run Export-Import Bank of Korea said Friday it has signed an agreement to provide a $120 million loan to Cambodia to support the enhancement of the Southeast Asian country's provincial road infrastructure. Korea Eximbank President Yoon Hee-sung and ROS Seilava, secretary of state at Cambodia's Ministry of Economy and Finance, inked the contract at a ceremony held at the South Korean presidential office in Yongsan-gu, on the occasion of a summit between Korean President Yoon S

May 17, 2024

KITA, FKI chiefs call for mutual benefit from US investment

Heads of Korean business groups raised their voices for Korean companies making vast investments in the US to be treated as they deserve when facing challenges in dealing with trade and supply chain issues involving the US. Starting Monday, Korea International Trade Association Chairman Yoon Jin-sik visited the US for five days along with the Federation of Korean Industries Chairman Ryu Jin to set forth Korean businesses' opinions to ensure that the Korea-US partnership yields outcomes reci

May 16, 2024

[Photo News] Promoting Korea-Japan economic ties

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (fourth from left, front row) greets a Korean business delegation at his office in Tokyo on Monday. The meeting was held ahead of the 56th Korea-Japan Business Conference, hosted by the Korea-Japan Economic Association, where some 210 business leaders from the two countries discussed measures to expand bilateral economic ties and promote mutual exchanges. From left in the front row are Hyosung Group Chairman Cho Hyun-joon, Korean Ambassador to Japan Yoon Deo

May 14, 2024

Import prices up for 4th month in April on higher oil prices

South Korea's import prices rose for a fourth consecutive month in April due to an increase in oil prices and the Korean won's decline against the US dollar, central bank data showed Tuesday. The import price index rose 3.9 percent last month from a month earlier following a 0.5 percent on-month gain the previous month, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea. From a year earlier, prices also rose 2.9 percent last month following a 0.5 percent on-year decline the previ

May 14, 2024

Loans of self-employed swell 50% in four years

The reliance on bank loans among self-employed South Koreans has surged considerably since the onset of the pandemic, with the overall loan volume and the default rate rising steeply in the past four years. According to data from the nation's major credit ratings firm Nice, provided to Rep. Yang Kyung-sook of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, the outstanding loans to self-employed individuals from local financial institutions totaled 1,112.74 trillion won ($811 billion) as of t

May 12, 2024

Financial regulator to complete short selling probe this year

South Korea's chief financial regulator, Financial Supervisory Service Governor Lee Bok-hyun, said the agency plans to conclude its ongoing investigation into illegal short selling by the end of the year. He made the statement during a meeting with a group of reporters on Thursday. "We've completed investigations into some companies and made significant progress with three others. About five companies remain, and, if possible, our goal is to wrap up the investigation by the end of

May 9, 2024

Yoon doubles down on repeal of financial investment income tax

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday expressed a strong willingness to rescind the introduction of capital gains taxes on financial investment incomes, asserting the legislation would bring massive outflow of funds from the country’s capital market. “Not only is the understanding of 14 million retail investors at stake, but if the capital market collapses and fails to function properly, it will have a significant impact on the real economy,” Yoon said during a press conference m

May 9, 2024

Over 80,000 millionaires, 20 billionaires in Seoul: report

There are over 80,000 individuals in Seoul with wealth of over $1 million, making it the city in the world with the 19th-highest number of millionaires, a recent study found. Around 82,500 residents in Seoul have wealth over $1 million as of December 2023, according to the “2024 World’s Wealthiest Cities” report issued by investment migration consultant Henry & Partners in collaboration with global data intelligence firm New World Wealth, Tuesday. In the annual report, weal

May 8, 2024

Less than 1 in 4 Seoul apartment deals are under W600m

Housing prices keep soaring in Seoul, as a report showed Wednesday that only 23.5 percent of high-rise apartments sold in the first quarter of this year went for less than 600 million won ($440,000). The real estate news platform Gyeongjae Man Lab -- Economy 10,000-Lab -- analyzed the data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. It found that 2,188 of the 9,314 high-rise apartment transaction deals in the first quarter involved apartments worth less than 600 million won. It was

May 8, 2024

Value-up program: Market disappointment does not mean a failure, just yet

The Korean government's corporate value enhancement guidelines revealed last week may have disappointed investors, yet experts believe there is room for improvement. After a three-month wait following the initial announcement of the corporate value-up program in February, the Financial Services Commission on Thursday issued several pages of guidelines detailing how companies should create their value enhancement plans and associated regulations. Under the guidelines, companies first select

May 6, 2024

Vice finance minister attends OECD meeting in Paris

First Vice Finance Minister Kim Byoung-hwan attended a ministerial meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) last week, Seoul's finance ministry said Sunday. During the meeting in Paris on Thursday and Friday (local time), Kim discussed global supply chains, inclusive growth and other issues, the Ministry of Finance and Economy said in a statement. On the sidelines of the meeting, Kim held separate talks with his counterparts, including Charlotte Vere of Br

May 5, 2024

US announces extension on graphite use for EV tax credits through 2026

The US government announced a decision Friday to extend tax credits for electric vehicles containing Chinese graphite until the end of 2026 -- an extension that followed a demand from EV manufacturers. On the Federal Register, the Treasury Department posted the final rules on the clean energy vehicle provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act that included the temporary exemption of graphite from rules on the use of minerals from "foreign entities of concern," including from China, Russ

May 4, 2024

Inflation eases in April, continues bumpy ride

South Korea's inflation fell to the 2 percent range as the country’s directive to lower price growth has been continuing to go down a bumpy path on fluctuations in the oil and agricultural prices, data showed Thursday. Consumer prices, a key metric of inflation, rose by 2.9 percent in April, marking a 0.2 percentage point decrease from the 3.1 percent reading shown in both March and February, according to the data from Statistics Korea. “The prices of petroleum products, which r

May 2, 2024

Finance minister vows 'bold market stabilization measures' against excessive volatility

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok vowed Thursday to stay vigilant on uncertainties regarding interest rate decisions by major economies and the Middle East crisis and to take bold market stabilization steps when necessary. Choi made the remarks during an emergency macroeconomic meeting meant to assess the Federal Reserve's rate-setting meeting Wednesday, where it kept the benchmark interest rate at between 5.25-5.5 percent for a sixth consecutive time. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said interest rat

May 2, 2024

Exports to US reach all-time high, widen gap with China

South Korea's exports increased for seven straight months, jumping 13.8 percent in April on strong chip demand and record-high automobile sales. Exports to the US, in particular, reached an all-time high, further widening the gap with China, the country's second-largest export destination. Outbound shipments came to $56.2 billion, up 13.8 percent on-year, according to data revealed by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Wednesday. The data showed that imports rose by 5.4 perc

May 1, 2024

Govt. to launch task force for supporting people's livelihoods

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said Wednesday the government will set up a task force in charge of monitoring and resolving issues regarding economic livelihoods of the people. Choi made the remarks during an emergency economic ministers' meeting in Seoul, stressing the government's priority of reviving the economy and boosting consumer sentiment amid weak domestic demand and high inflation. "We will not just be satisfied with decent economic data and will put policy priority on h

May 1, 2024

S&P keeps 'AA' rating on S. Korea with stable outlook

Global credit appraiser S&P Global Ratings said Tuesday it has maintained its credit rating on South Korea at "AA," with a stable outlook. S&P has kept South Korea's long-term sovereign credit rating at the third-highest level on the company's table since August 2016, when it upgraded the rating by one notch from "AA-." "The stable rating outlook reflects our expectation that (South) Korea will maintain average growth rates that are higher than most oth

April 30, 2024

S. Korea's tax revenue falls W2.2tr on-year through March

South Korea's tax revenue fell 2.5 percent on-year during the first three months of 2024 due mainly to weak corporate performances, the finance ministry said Tuesday. The government collected 84.9 trillion won ($61.68 billion) in taxes this year through March, down 2.2 trillion won from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The decline was due mainly to the fall in corporate taxes collected and income taxes. The collection of corporate taxes sank 22.8 percent, or

April 30, 2024

Industrial output falls by most in 4 years in March

South Korea's industrial output logged the sharpest fall in about four years after four months of monthly gains in March on falling manufacturing production, data showed Tuesday. Retail sales, however, rebounded on rising demand for food and vehicles, among other items, amid concerns about weak domestic demand, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. Industrial output declined 2.1 percent in March from a month earlier, the first fall since October, It also marked the sharpest fa

April 30, 2024