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Majority of Korean Firms See Japan Ties as Key to Future Growth

Majority of Korean Firms See Japan Ties as Key to Future Growth

SEOUL, June 19 (Korea Bizwire) — Over half of South Korean companies view economic cooperation with Japan as beneficial and believe it should continue, a survey showed Thursday, as the two nations mark the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties this year. In the poll conducted by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) [...]

POSCO Holdings Tops Corporate Governance Compliance Ahead of 2026 Reporting Mandate

POSCO Holdings Tops Corporate Governance Compliance Ahead of 2026 Reporting Mandate

SEOUL, June 17 (Korea Bizwire) — With South Korea set to require all KOSPI-listed firms to submit corporate governance reports starting in 2026, POSCO Holdings has emerged as the top performer in governance compliance over the past five years, according to a comprehensive industry analysis released Tuesday. The study by Leaders Index, which reviewed 2024 corporate [...]

Majority of Korean Workers Support Expanding Minimum Wage to Gig and Freelance Labor

Majority of Korean Workers Support Expanding Minimum Wage to Gig and Freelance Labor

SEOUL, June 16 (Korea Bizwire) — A growing number of South Korean workers believe the legal minimum wage should be extended to cover gig workers, freelancers, and those in special employment arrangements, reflecting mounting concern over the widening protections gap in the evolving labor market. According to a survey released Sunday by the labor rights group [...]

As Economic Headwinds Mount, South Korea’s Love Affair with Golf Shows Signs of Strain

As Economic Headwinds Mount, South Korea’s Love Affair with Golf Shows Signs of Strain

SEOUL, June 14 (Korea Bizwire) — Once a symbol of status and a booming lifestyle trend during the pandemic, golf in South Korea is now facing a quieter season. The latest figures show that the country’s imports of golf equipment plunged over 23 percent last year, falling to approximately 756.6 billion won (US$557.7 million) — a [...]

Foreign Investment in Korean Securities Hits Two-Year High on Eased Political Risks

Foreign Investment in Korean Securities Hits Two-Year High on Eased Political Risks

SEOUL, June 13 (Korea Bizwire) — Foreign investment in South Korean securities recorded the largest net inflow in nearly two years in May, supported by easing domestic political uncertainties and reduced concerns over the United States’ trade policy, the central bank said Friday. Offshore investors purchased a net US$9.29 billion worth of local stocks and [...]

Korean Exports Rebound in June’s First 10 Days, Fueled by Chips and Autos

Korean Exports Rebound in June’s First 10 Days, Fueled by Chips and Autos

SEOUL, June 11 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s exports went up 5.4 percent from a year earlier in the first 10 days of this month driven by robust demand for semiconductors and automobiles, data showed Wednesday. Outbound shipments reached US$15.47 billion in the June 1-10 period, compared with $14.68 billion tallied a year earlier, according [...]

Cumulative Voting Rare Among Top KOSPI Firms Despite Governance Push

Cumulative Voting Rare Among Top KOSPI Firms Despite Governance Push

SEOUL, June 11 (Korea Bizwire) — Only six percent of 171 listed companies on South Korea’s main stock exchange have adopted cumulative voting, a system aimed at enhancing shareholder rights, according to a report released Wednesday by a local research institute. Happy ESG, a corporate governance research group, analyzed the governance structures of 171 companies [...]

Korean CEOs Rank Korean Air, Genesis, and Galaxy as Top Premium Brands in 2025 Survey

Korean CEOs Rank Korean Air, Genesis, and Galaxy as Top Premium Brands in 2025 Survey

Seoul, June 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Korean Air, Genesis, and Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones topped the list of premium brands most favored by South Korea’s top corporate leaders, according to a new survey released Tuesday by the business journal Hyundai Management. The annual Best Premium Brands survey, based on responses from 100 CEOs at Korea’s 500 largest [...]

Dawn Delivery Services Rated Most Consumer-Friendly, Wedding Services Least

Dawn Delivery Services Rated Most Consumer-Friendly, Wedding Services Least

SEOUL, June 10 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean consumers ranked the dawn delivery market as the most consumer-friendly, while wedding services received the lowest score in a nationwide survey released Tuesday by the Korea Consumer Agency. The findings are part of the agency’s “2024 Consumer Market Evaluation Index,” which assesses how consumer-oriented various markets are [...]

Corporate Loan Demand Surges in Early 2025 Amid Rising Need for Operating Capital

Corporate Loan Demand Surges in Early 2025 Amid Rising Need for Operating Capital

SEOUL, June 10 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean companies turned to banks at a significantly higher rate in the first quarter of 2025, with demand for operating funds driving a sharp rise in corporate borrowing, according to new data released Tuesday by the Bank of Korea (BOK). The total outstanding loans to local companies reached 1,979.5 [...]