SEOUL, May 20 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s household credit reached a record high in the first quarter, though its growth slowed due to lending regulations and a decline in credit loans, central bank data showed Tuesday. Outstanding household credit had stood at 1,928.7 trillion won (US$1.39 trillion) as of end-March, up 2.8 trillion won [...]
SEOUL, May 15 (Korea Bizwire) — The country’s financial watchdog said Thursday that it will prod financial firms to manage their incentive systems in a proper and reasonable manner. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) said incentive systems can carry risks if not properly managed, which also can hurt financial institutions’ soundness as well as the [...]
SEOUL, May 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Woori Financial Group Inc. got regulatory approval on Friday for the takeovers of two life insurance companies, on condition that the group faithfully implements its planned measures aimed at strengthening its internal control. The Financial Services Commission (FSC), the country’s financial regulator, approved Woori Financial’s takeovers of Tongyang Life [...]
SEOUL, April 29 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s financial regulator said Tuesday it plans to ease capital adequacy requirements for insurance companies to help lessen their burdens and raise the quality of their capital base. The Financial Services Commission said it will complete procedures needed to revise related laws on insurers’ capital adequacy ratio by [...]
SEOUL, April 25, (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s leading non-life insurers are scaling back coverage for caregiver expense riders as soaring loss ratios threaten profitability. On April 24, 2025, industry officials confirmed that companies including Samsung Fire & Marine and Meritz Fire & Marine have reduced the daily coverage limit for caregiver expenses tied to [...]
SEOUL, April 23, (Korea Bizwire) — Nearly one-third of insurance policies in South Korea are canceled within two years, with long-term contract retention rates significantly trailing those of major global markets, according to a report released April 22, 2025, by the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). The report, titled “2024 Insurance Sales Channel Performance and Supervision [...]
SEOUL, April 18, (Korea Bizwire) — Woori Bank has officially entered South Korea’s budget telecom market with the launch of its new mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) service, WooriWON Mobile, which began operations on April 18, 2025. To mark the launch, Woori Bank is offering promotional benefits worth up to 300,000 won for new customers [...]
SEOUL, April 9 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean banks will offer English mobile applications and documents this year to help foreign residents get better access to banking services and reduce their inconvenience, the financial watchdog said Wednesday. According to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), the number of foreign customers at local banks stood at 8.13 [...]
SEOUL, April 7 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s largest banks posted record-breaking profits in 2024, yet their hiring of entry-level employees remained flat or declined, drawing criticism for neglecting their social responsibility to create jobs—particularly for young job seekers facing a worsening employment climate. According to data obtained by Rep. Kim Hyun-jung of the National [...]
SEOUL, April 7 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s financial regulator asked local banks on Monday to play an active role in providing funds for businesses facing difficulties due to the Donald Trump administration’s sweeping tariffs. Kim Byoung-hwan, the chief of the Financial Services Commission (FSC), made the call during a meeting with the heads of [...]