POHANG, South Korea, Dec. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — The industrial heart of Pohang, once buoyed by its thriving secondary battery and steel industries, is grappling with a severe economic downturn, underscoring the fragility of the region’s core sectors. The city, home to major players like EcoPro, POSCO Future M, and GS Energy Materials, has been [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 4 (Korea Bizwire) – In response to growing demand for obesity medications, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance has launched health insurance products that cover high-cost obesity treatments, marking a significant development in the Korean health insurance market. These new plans offer coverage for GLP-1 class obesity medications, such as Wegovy and Saxenda, which [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — Stock markets will open as usual Wednesday, the finance ministry said, following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s unexpected declaration of emergency martial law overnight, which was subsequently lifted. The decision was made during an emergency meeting held earlier in the day between Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok and top economic and [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — The South Korean currency fell markedly against the U.S. dollar Wednesday amid political turmoil following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s now-lifted declaration of emergency martial law. The Korean won opened at 1,418.1 won per dollar, down 15.2 won from the previous session. During the nighttime offshore trading, the won had [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — The country’s top financial regulator said Wednesday that the authorities are ready to mobilize a 10 trillion-won (US$7 billion) stock market stabilization fund to reduce any market volatility in the midst of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s surprise decision to impose martial law, which was later lifted. “We are ready [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Korea Bizwire) – Single-person households in South Korea have reduced spending due mainly to high housing expenses and a tough job market situation, affecting the recovery of private consumption, a central bank report showed Tuesday. The proportion of one-person households out of the country’s total has been on a constant increase from [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Korea Bizwire) – Samsung Electronics is facing declining representation in South Korea’s Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) market, reflecting growing concerns about its position in the semiconductor industry, particularly regarding its competitive stance in High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and artificial intelligence (AI) chip supply chains. According to financial data provider Yonhap Infomax, as of November [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s economic backbone—households headed by those in their 40s—saw a sharp drop in business income during the third quarter, reflecting prolonged domestic demand stagnation and heightened challenges for self-employed workers. According to Statistics Korea on Friday, the average business income for 40-something households fell to ₩1.07 million, down 13.1% [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 2 (Korea Bizwire) – Spending on clothing and footwear in South Korea has dropped to its lowest share of consumer expenditures, as domestic demand remains weak and unseasonably warm weather curbs the need for fall apparel. Data from Statistics Korea shows that in the third quarter of 2024, average monthly consumer spending per [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 2 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s economy is expected to operate below its potential capacity for six consecutive years through 2025, according to new projections from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), raising concerns about structural weakness in what was once one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies. Among the Group of 7 nations [...]