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Archive by category Economy & Markets

Drugmaker Celltrion Surpasses Hyundai Motor in Market Value

SEOUL, Jan. 8 (Korea Bizwire) – Drugmaker Celltrion Inc.’s stock has made significant gains in recent days, surpassing Hyundai Motor Co. in terms of market value, data showed Monday. Celltrion shares jumped 55.12 percent over the past 7 trading sessions to 302,500 won (US$283.29) on Monday closing, pushing the company’s capitalization to a record 37.1 trillion won. Hyundai Motor’s market capitalization stood at 33.2 trillion won as of Monday closing. Celltrion’s [...]

Minimum Wage Hike to Boost Domestic Demand

SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s increase of the minimum wage will boost private spending, which in turn can help Asia’s fourth-largest economy break from its low growth trend, a senior government official said Friday. In July last year, the country decided to raise its minimum wage by 16 percent to 7,530 won [...]

S. Korea to Hold Hearing on Follow-up FTA Talks with China

SEOUL, Jan. 4 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s trade ministry said Thursday it will hold a public hearing on the negotiations to expand the scope of the free trade agreement (FTA) with China to further lower trade barriers in the service and investment sectors. Policymakers, experts and industry officials will take part in the hearing [...]

Two Days After Minimum Wage Hike, Opinions Mixed

SEOUL, Jan. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — Workers and business owners across South Korea expressed mixed views two days after a dramatic minimum wage hike was implemented. Yesterday was the second day in South Korea that workers at the low end of the pay scale received an hourly wage of 7,530 won, but opinions varied on [...]

S. Korean Businesses Face Double Whammy of Minimum Wage Hike and Shorter Working Hours

SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean small and medium-sized businesses are expected to take a hit this year from the double whammy of a minimum wage hike and reduced working hours. The highest minimum wage hike in 17 years takes effect this month with a jump to 7,530 won per hour. However, not [...]

BOK Chief Pledges to Be Prudent in Rate Hike

SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s central bank chief said Tuesday that he will make a prudent decision on a further rate hike by taking into account all economic data. “The Bank of Korea raises the rate based on data, economic indices and other conditions,” BOK Gov. Lee Ju-yeol told reporters. “The board [...]

Finance Minister Vows to Smooth Out Potential Fallout of Minimum Wage Hike

SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s chief economic policymaker said Tuesday that the government will redouble efforts to successfully implement a series of measures aimed at smoothing out a rise in minimum wage that takes effect this year. In July last year, the country decided to increase its minimum wage by 16 percent [...]

No One Turns Up for Protest Against Government’s Cryptocurrency Regulations

SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — A planned protest against the government’s cryptocurrency regulations failed to live up to the hype, with no one turning up at Gwanghwamun Plaza over the weekend. Despite an online post last week urging bitcoin investors to join a protest against the current administration’s anti-cryptocurrency stance, no sign of protest [...]

Rate Hikes Can Cause Heavily Indebted Households to Cut Back on Spending: Report

SEOUL, Dec. 29 (Korea Bizwire) — A country with high household debt that raises key interest rates can be affected by a drop in total demand and consumption, a report said Friday. “We’ve found that key interest rate hikes have a great impact on the economic adjustment in a country which has a high degree [...]

S. Korean Firms Downbeat on January Business Outlook

SEOUL, Dec. 28 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korean companies are pessimistic about their business conditions in 2018 due to unfavorable factors at home and abroad, a poll showed Thursday. The business survey index (BSI) of the nation’s top 600 firms by sales came to 96.5 for January, unchanged from the previous month, according to the [...]