SEJONG, Jan. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea saw sharp price increases in food items last year, with fruits and vegetables making up the majority of the top 10 most inflation-affected goods, according to data from Statistics Korea. Among 458 consumer price index items, Asian pears recorded the steepest price hike, soaring 71.9% in 2024 due [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — The share of monthly rental contracts in South Korea’s housing market reached a record high in 2024, nearing 60% of all lease agreements, as rising interest rates and concerns over rental fraud (in particular jeonse frauds) accelerated the transition away from traditional lump-sum deposits. According to data from the Supreme [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — Investors are pouring a large amount of money into funds that invest in U.S. stocks on hopes that President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy would help further boost the U.S. stock market, data showed Tuesday. According to the data from market tracker FnGuide, 167 funds that invest in U.S. [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — For the first time in history, transactions of Seoul apartments priced above ₩900 million accounted for more than half of the city’s total sales in 2024, reflecting a shift toward high-end properties amid rising home prices and a preference for “one solid investment.” According to the Ministry of Land, [...]
SEJONG, Jan. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — The average South Korean worker received approximately 10.69 million won in bonuses last year, while the top 0.1% of earners collected bonuses exceeding 620 million won, highlighting significant income disparities in the workforce, according to new government data. Figures released by the National Tax Service and obtained by People Power [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — The South Korean won experienced its steepest decline in real effective exchange rate (REER) in over two years last December, following political instability that shook financial markets. According to data released by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) on January 26, South Korea’s REER index stood at 91.03 (2020=100) at [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s stock market extended its winning streak last week, buoyed by investor relief over a tempered approach from the second Trump administration, which had raised fears of aggressive trade policies. The KOSPI index climbed 13.25 points (0.52%) to close at 2,536.80, marking its fifth straight weekly gain — a [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — Starting January 24, 2025, South Korea will extend the maximum residence period for foreign victims of jeonse frauds in public emergency housing from two years to six years, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport announced on Thursday. Jeonse fraud is a type of real estate fraud that occurs when [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s business community on Thursday launched a promotion committee to support the government’s preparations for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit set to be held in the country this year. The Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) said the committee, led by KCCI Chairman Chey Tae-won, [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — The Korea Securities Depository (KSD) reported on January 22 that the issuance of derivatives-linked securities (DLS) increased to 18.37 trillion won in 2024, marking a 14.3% rise from the previous year. DLS products are structured to provide promised returns when underlying assets such as interest rates or exchange rates remain [...]