SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s corporate bond market is showing renewed strength as expectations of interest rate cuts fuel demand for higher-yielding securities, driving credit spreads to their lowest levels of the year. According to data from the Korea Financial Investment Association and Infomax, the spread between three-year AA- corporate bonds and equivalent [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — When a popular YouTube commentator recently began selling a “990 won salt bread,” it was more than a marketing stunt. It was a pointed jab at what Koreans have come to call “breadflation,” a steep rise in bread prices that many believe has made the staple disproportionately expensive at home compared [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s central bank has warned that failing to act decisively on climate change could leave the nation facing prolonged inflationary pressures as extreme heat and heavy rainfall increasingly disrupt prices. In a report released Monday, the Bank of Korea found that a one-degree Celsius “heat shock,” defined as the [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — The Korea Exchange said Friday it will introduce three new stock indexes tied to artificial intelligence on Sept. 8, underscoring how rapidly the technology is reshaping investment strategies across industries. The indexes — the KRX Sovereign AI Index, the KRX-Akros AI Power Infrastructure Index, and the KRX AI Semiconductor Index [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Korea Bizwire) — Uncertainty surrounding the United States’ trade policy alone is estimated to reduce South Korea’s economic growth rate by about 0.13 percentage point this year, the central bank said Monday. In late July, Seoul and Washington reached a crucial agreement in which the U.S. imposes a 15 percent tariff on [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea could see its economy expand by the equivalent of 6% of GDP if the number of foreign residents increased by one million, according to a new study by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and a research team led by Professor Kim Deok-pa of Korea [...]
SEOUL, August 6 (Korea Bizwire) – A new study by South Korea’s National Pension Research Institute has challenged a widely held assumption that the country’s economic and labor trends will eventually converge with those of advanced economies like the United States and Japan. In a report titled “A Study on the Convergence of Demographic and [...]
SEOUL, July 31 (Korea Bizwire) — As South Korean consumers grapple with rising food prices, ultra-low-cost products priced under 1,000 won are gaining popularity—prompting convenience stores to expand their “super-value” offerings. On July 30, 7-Eleven announced the launch of two canned coffee products, “Seven Select Black Coffee” and “Seven Select Café Latte,” each priced at [...]
SEOUL, July 30 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s credit card spending rose sharply in the second quarter of 2025, buoyed by recovering consumer sentiment and optimism over potential economic stimulus measures in the second half of the year. According to data released Wednesday by the Credit Finance Association, total card-approved transactions reached 313 trillion won [...]
GWANGJU, July 30(Korea Bizwire) — As dining costs continue to climb across South Korea, prices for samgyetang — a traditional Korean ginseng chicken soup favored during the summer heat — have breached ₩20,000 per bowl at many popular restaurants in Gwangju, marking a sharp departure from its status as an affordable seasonal comfort food. According to local [...]