SEJONG, March 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Financial authorities in South Korea have announced new measures to encourage domestic investment and support the won’s value, including raising the mandatory domestic stock investment ratio for specialized Individual Savings Accounts (ISA) and lifting restrictions on won-denominated “Kimchi bonds”. The Ministry of Economy and Finance, Financial Services Commission, Bank of [...]
SEOUL, March 9 (Korea Bizwire) — The amount of insurance payments collected in insurance frauds climbed to an all-time high last year, prompting authorities to step up efforts to curb such practices, the financial regulator said Sunday, Insurance scammers took a record 1.15 trillion won (US$794.6 million) through wrongful filings in 2024, up 3 percent [...]
SEOUL, March 7 (Korea Bizwire) — Amid a prolonged economic downturn, a vast majority of South Korean businesses anticipate a financial crisis in 2025, according to a new survey by the Korea Employers Federation (KEF). The survey, conducted in January among 508 domestic companies with at least 50 employees, revealed that 96.9% of respondents expect an [...]
SEOUL, March 6 (Korea Bizwire) — Nearly 1 in 3 large companies in South Korea have reported a deterioration in their financial conditions this year compared with 2024, a survey released Thursday showed. The survey conducted by Mono Research on the country’s top 1,000 firms in terms of sales found that 31 percent of the [...]
SEOUL, March 5 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s economy grew 2 percent last year, matching an earlier estimate, amid slowing export growth, sagging domestic demand and a political crisis, central bank data showed Wednesday. The country’s real gross domestic product (GDP) — a key measure of economic growth — increased 2 percent last year, in [...]
SEOUL, March 5 (Korea Bizwire) — The premium on South Korean gold prices, which had been trading more than 20% above international rates, has rapidly declined, leading to heightened market volatility. At one point, domestic gold prices dropped at 15 times the rate of global gold prices, triggering increased investor caution. According to the Korea [...]
SEOUL, March 4 (Korea Bizwire) — U.S. President Donald Trump has abruptly suspended all military aid to Ukraine, escalating tensions with Kyiv and raising broader concerns among allies who depend on American security and economic support. According to Bloomberg News on March 3, Trump ordered an immediate halt to U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, including shipments [...]
SEOUL, March 4 (Korea Bizwire) — Shares of South Korean defense companies surged on March 4 following heightened geopolitical uncertainty after a failed summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, fueling expectations of increased military spending in Europe. According to the Korea Exchange, Hanwha Aerospace [012450] soared 18.01% to close at 701,000 [...]
SEOUL, March 4 (Korea Bizwire) — Homeplus Co., a discount store chain in South Korea, said Tuesday it has filed for corporate rehabilitation with a Seoul court after its credit rating declined amid liquidity worries. Homeplus filed for the court-led rehabilitation program with the Seoul Bankruptcy Court after its corporate credit rating plunged last week. [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — As South Korea’s prolonged economic downturn continues, small business owners are increasingly burdened by rising labor costs. A recent analysis shows that small independent business operators employ an average of 1.8 workers per establishment, highlighting the strain on entrepreneurs trying to sustain their workforce. According to data from the [...]