SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — Funds that invest in Vietnamese stocks have enjoyed popularity among South Korean investors lured by the Southeast Asian country’s marked economic growth, market data showed Thursday. The 16 investment funds linked to Vietnamese equities in South Korea saw net inflows of 109.8 billion won (US$98.21 million) over the past [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean health insurance companies are coming up with ‘mini insurance plans’ to attract customers in their 20s to 40s. Mini insurance plans allow customers to select specific levels of protection at affordable prices of less than 10,000 won (US$8.95) per month. KB Insurance Co. announced on Tuesday that [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — SK Holdings Co., the holding firm of South Korean conglomerate SK Group, ranked No. 1 among all stocks listed on the main bourse in terms of conversion prices, the Korea Exchange (KRX) said Sunday. The conversion price of SK Holdings was 6,775,000 won (US$6,022) based on Friday’s closing price [...]
SEJONG, Feb. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s household income inequality hit a record high in the fourth quarter of 2018, government data showed Thursday. An average household earned 4.6 million won (US$4,000) per month in the October-December period, up 3.6 percent from the previous year, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. The [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — The government plans to let banks open their payment systems to financial technology firms, in a move that would provide a level playing field for new players and increase competition in the financial industry, officials said Wednesday. The plan was announced at a meeting chaired by Finance Minister Hong [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — Growth in income for the generation of workers who came into the job market after the 1997 Asian financial crisis is slower than in the past, which will hurt overall earnings during their lifetimes, a research report said Tuesday. The study by Shim Hye-jung, head of the income and [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s finance minister said Thursday that Seoul will push for talks with Britain on forging a bilateral free trade deal, citing London’s imminent departure from the European Union. The comments by Hong Nam-ki, the minister of economy and finance, underscored South Korea’s efforts to keep intact its economic [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — Inventory of South Korean manufacturers has increased to its highest point in 10 years, data showed Monday, a likely sign of a dulled economy. Figures obtained from the Korea Center for International Finance and Statistics Korea put the inventory-to-sales ratio in December last year at 116 percent. The number [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Major foreign investment banks (IBs) revised down their forecasts for South Korea’s economic growth for this year citing sluggish exports and slowing global demand, a report showed Sunday. The average growth forecast for 2019 by nine major global IBs stood at 2.5 percent as of end-January, down 0.1 percentage [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — An increasing number of South Koreans are engaging in direct trading of foreign stocks, bolstered by the strengthening world stock market as well as deeper interest among the public. Brokerage firms, in response, are developing new strategies for foreign stocks to meet customer demand. Between December 2018 and January [...]