SEOUL, Jul. 11 (Korea Bizwire) – In a surprising trend, half of the recent applicants for health insurance policies designed for individuals with pre-existing conditions are in their 60s, according to a recent analysis. This demographic, which has historically faced challenges in obtaining coverage, is emerging as a significant force in the insurance market, coinciding with [...]
SEOUL, July 10 (Korea Bizwire) – Early repayment charges on loans will be lowered from mid-January next year as financial regulators revised rules, officials said Wednesday. Under the revised rules, lenders will only be allowed to collect the actual cost of making or handling the loans repaid in advance, along with any actual loss stemming [...]
SEOUL, Jul. 10 (Korea Bizwire) – Global asset management firm Franklin Templeton has offered a cautiously optimistic assessment of the South Korean government’s efforts to address the so-called ‘Korea Discount’ – the persistent undervaluation of Korean stocks. While viewing the corporate value enhancement policies positively, the firm anticipates that tangible results may take time to materialize. [...]
SEOUL, Jul. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — Kim Beom-su, the founder of tech giant Kakao Corp., appeared before prosecutors on Tuesday for questioning over alleged stock price manipulation connected to the firm’s takeover of K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment last year. Kim presented himself for questioning at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office regarding his alleged involvement [...]
SEOUL, Jul. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — A probe has found large-scale insurance fraud at a traditional medicine hospital involving more than 100 people, the financial regulator said Tuesday. Around 100 “fake” patients at the hospital are suspected of having made false insurance claims worth about 100 billion won (US$72.3 million), according to the Financial Supervisory [...]
SEOUL, Jul. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — The chief of the South Korean central bank said Tuesday the country is expected to see a gradual easing of inflation, while market volatility has grown amid high interest rates and political uncertainties in major nations. Bank of Korea (BOK) Gov. Rhee Chang-yong made the assessment during a parliamentary [...]
SEOUL, Jul. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — Nine out of 10 large companies in South Korea plan to maintain or increase their investments in the second half of the year, despite challenges such as prolonged high interest rates, a weak local currency and international uncertainties, a survey showed Monday. In the survey conducted by Mono Research, [...]
SEOUL, Jul. 8 (Korea Bizwire) – In a global comparison of household debt burdens, South Korea emerged as having the fourth-highest ratio of debt payments to income among major economies last year, according to data released by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). The report, published on July 7, reveals that South Korea’s debt service ratio [...]
SEOUL, July 7 (Korea Bizwire) – The government borrowed over 91 trillion won (US$65.8 billion) from the Bank of Korea (BOK) in temporary loans in the first half of the year to fill its fiscal shortfall, data showed Sunday. According to the BOK data submitted to Rep. Yang Boo-nam of the main opposition Democratic Party, [...]
SEOUL, July 7 (Korea Bizwire) – The growth of household loans has shown signs of acceleration as combined household loans from the country’s five major banks surged by approximately 2.2 trillion won (US$1.6 billion) in just four days last week, financial data showed Sunday. According to the data, the total household loan balance of the [...]