SEOUL, Jan. 7 (Korea Bizwire) – An interest rate hike of just 0.25 percentage points will likely cause the household debt service burden to rise by 1.9 trillion won (US$1.6 billion) per year, hurting consumer spending and affecting overall growth, the central bank said Thursday. In a report submitted to Rep. Park Won-suk of the [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 31 (Korea Bizwire) - South Korea’s top central banker said Thursday he will continue an easing monetary policy in 2016 to boost growth while guarding against any financial instabilities. “It is necessary to put the focus on downward risks in economic growth and prices, while closely checking the macroeconomic circumstances,” Bank of Korea Gov. [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 26 (Korea Bizwire) - Global economic think tanks and investment banks (IBs) are predicting South Korea’s growth to slide to the upper 2 percent range in 2016 due to slumping exports and weak domestic demand, financial market sources said Monday. The latest monthly Consensus Economic report showed overseas think tanks and IBs expect Asia’s [...]
“I do believe there exists the lowest limit for the nominal interest rate, but we cannot say the current rate has reached such a limit. Kore may need to further reduce the key rate depending on how the global economic condition develops in the future.” “I only said the key rate has not reached the [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s central bank said Thursday that it will focus on keeping the local financial market stable as international volatility is likely to grow on China’s economic instability and a looming U.S. rate hike. Concerns have been escalating over an economic hard landing in China, South Korea’s top export [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — Nearly half of South Korea’s top businesses are expected to see their sales shrink this year due to a global economic slowdown and weak domestic demand, market observers said Friday. According to market analysts, only 56 percent of the country’s 300 largest firms by stock market capitalization are expected to [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — South Koreans spent more at duty-free shops this year after the government widened tax breaks last year, while domestic consumption remained in the doldrums, a survey showed Thursday. According to the survey conducted by online travel agency Expedia on 1,000 salaried workers between the ages of 20 and 49 in the [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Korea Bizwire) – As many large firms have been aggressively repaying their debts, bank loans to large companies dropped to a 10-month low in July. Unlike the increase in the number of bank loans to SMEs, large companies are turning to direct financing channels including bonds, commercial paper (CP) and stock issuance. According [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — Fears of a slowdown in the Chinese economy sent shockwaves across global financial markets on Monday, leaving South Korean exporters jittery over their future performance as they rely heavily on the world’s second-largest economy, experts said. China’s Shanghai Composite Index tumbled 8.49 percent on Monday as investors dumped shares [...]
“North Korea’s attack should have little impact on the country’s financial sector, although downside risks associated with the United States raising its key interest rates and uncertainties coming out of China need to be checked. The government is ready to respond proactively to all uncertainties.” “There was a strengthening of the U.S. dollar compared with [...]