SEOUL, March 21 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s financial watchdog said Friday it will look into whether Homeplus Co. has violated accounting rules as speculation mounts over the retailer’s controversial short-term debt sale. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) said it will inspect to verify whether the retailer, wholly owned by private equity firm MBK Partners [...]
SEOUL, March 20 (Korea Bizwire) — Around seven out of 10 South Korean households perceive their financial situation having worsened compared to a year ago due to inflation, a poll showed Thursday. According to the survey carried out by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) on 1,000 adults nationwide recently, 71.5 percent of respondents said [...]
SEOUL, March 19 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s combined household, corporate, and government debt—known as national total debt—has surpassed 6,200 trillion won, according to the latest data released by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). As of the end of the third quarter of 2024, non-financial sector credit, measured in Korean won, reached 6,222 trillion won, [...]
SEOUL, March 19 (Korea Bizwire) — Acting President Choi Sang-mok said Wednesday the government will use all available resources to curb the rise in home prices. Choi made the remarks in an economy-related ministers’ meeting, noting, “Home prices have been on a recent rise in some parts of Seoul.” “We will view the situation seriously [...]
SEOUL, March 18 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean companies could boost their corporate value by increasing shareholder returns, precisely because of their currently low level of shareholder protection, according to a new analysis by the Bank of Korea released on March 17. The central bank’s report, titled “The Impact of Shareholder Return Policies on Corporate Value,” examined [...]
SEOUL, March 16 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s household debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio was the second highest among major nations, following Canada, amid growing concerns about rising household borrowing amid weak growth and domestic demand, data showed Sunday. The debt-to-GDP ratio for South Korea came to 91.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024, [...]
SEJONG, South Korea, March 14 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s economy is increasingly influenced by domestic factors rather than global conditions, signaling a shift toward self-driven growth and stability, according to a new report from the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP). The study, released on Thursday by KIEP’s International Macroeconomics and Finance Division, [...]
SEOUL, March 14 (Korea Bizwire) — The chief of the South Korean central bank warned Friday the current level of ultra-low birth rate will cause South Korea to log negative economic growth after 2050, calling for measures to ease intense competition and burdens regarding employment, housing and child care. The Bank of Korea (BOK) Gov. [...]
SEOUL, March 14 (Korea Bizwire) — More than half of South Korea’s listed companies received no coverage from securities analysts last year, with research reports heavily concentrated on large-cap stocks and companies listed on the country’s main KOSPI board. According to data released on March 13 by the Korea IR Association’s Corporate Research Center, while the [...]
SEOUL, March 11 (Korea Bizwire) — Amid China’s rapid advancements in high-tech industries, South Korean investors are increasingly turning to Chinese stocks, fueling a surge in trading volumes, according to Chinese state media. China Central Television (CCTV) recently reported, citing data from the Korea Securities Depository, that the total trading volume of Chinese mainland and [...]