The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency is running a job fair for international students from Wednesday to Thursday.Organized by KOTRA, the two-day event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Coex in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul. More than 2,500 international students from some 50 countries signed up for the fair. In addition, 129 Korean companies including Cuckoo electronics and Daewoong Pharmaceutical are participating to connect with the job seekers.  Programs at the fair include one-on-on

Economy Sept. 13, 2017

Following North Korea’s nuclear weapons test Sunday, sales of silver bars soared by 10 times on Monday, according to the Korea Gold Exchange.Silver bars are in high demand among middle-class investors seeking an affordable alternative to gold bars as a safety haven currency during times of geopolitical uncertainty.KGE said sales of 1-kilogram gold bars numbered 194 on Monday morning alone, rising sharply from daily sales of 20 on average.A 1-kilogram silver bar was trading at around 840,00

Economy Sept. 4, 2017

The government plans to increase policy loans to further help low-income people buy homes, despite recent measures aimed at cooling down the real estate market, officials said Friday. The plan is designed to step up support for low-income earners who seek to buy a home they will live in, although the government unveiled new guidelines to tighten lending rules and raise the capital gains tax, to quell property speculation.  Under the plan, the ceiling of policy loans for mortgages for low-in

Market Aug. 4, 2017

Credit-card spending by individuals rose 11.2 percent on-year in the second quarter, as a long holiday and hot weather boosted demand for air conditioners and other consumer goods, industry data showed Friday. According to the data by the Credit Finance Association, credit-card spending by individuals stood at 150 trillion won ($133.3 billion) for the April-June period, the highest quarterly spending tallied so far. The use of credit cards increased in part to people taking trips that require pa

Economy Aug. 4, 2017

South Korean stocks opened higher Friday despite losses on Wall Street as foreigners scooped up large-cap shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 6.48 points, or 0.27 percent, to 2,393.33 in the first 15 minutes of trading.On Thursday (local time), the S&P shed 0.24 percent and the Nasdaq Composite Index also lost 0.4 percent due to losses for energy and technology companies Most large caps on the Seoul bourse opened higher, with tech shares leading the gain. Market bell

Market Aug. 4, 2017

South Korea's real estate investors may move their money to the stock market following tough government measures to cool the overheating housing market, analysts said Friday.In a desperate bid to rein in soaring apartment prices, the government unveiled a package of measures Wednesday, including the designation of areas under close state scrutiny, tougher mortgage rules and heavier capital gains taxes. The measures also restrict the resell of rights to buy new apartments, which have been cited a

Economy Aug. 4, 2017

South Korea's bourse has seen both big-cap and small-cap companies rise considerably this year, pointing to a marked polarization in terms of market capitalization, data showed Friday.Companies with a market value of 1 trillion won ($890 million) or more numbered 200 as of Thursday, up 17 from a year earlier, according to the data by the bourse operator Korea Exchange. Of the total, top-cap Samsung Electronics Co. and 34 other companies saw their market capitalization hover above the 10 trillion

Market Aug. 4, 2017

Naver maintained the top spot in terms of internet display advertisement sales in the first half of this year, according to data from MezzoMedia, a digital marketing agency under CJ E&M.As for online video advertisements, Google’s YouTube and Facebook took 60 percent of total revenue.Display ads include banner advertisements that pop up on websites and apps.

Economy Aug. 4, 2017

South Korean stocks fell nearly 2 percent Thursday to snap a three-day winning streak as foreign investors sold off large-cap shares amid heightened geopolitical uncertainties at both home and abroad, analysts said. The Korean won lost ground against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index retreated 40.78 points, or 1.68 percent, to close at 2,368.85.Trade volume was modest at 299.95 million shares worth 6.2 trillion won ($5.9 billion), with losers far outnumbering gainers

Market Aug. 3, 2017

South Korea's stricter lending rules will likely affect about 400,000 potential mortgage borrowers in "speculative districts" in Seoul and the administrative capital of Sejong in the second half of the year, officials said Thursday. In its latest bid to rein in the overheating housing market, the government Wednesday designated all 25 wards in Seoul and two cities -- Sejong and Gwacheon, south of Seoul -- as "speculative or overheated speculative districts." In particular, 11

Economy Aug. 3, 2017

High-earning households in South Korea saw their monthly income from business operations gain at the fastest clip in seven years in the first quarter on a brisk property market, government data showed Thursday.The average monthly "business income" of the top 20 percent households in the income bracket stood at 1.43 million won ($1,274) in the January-March period of this year, up 8.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the data by Statistics Korea. It marks the largest on-year ga

Economy Aug. 3, 2017

South Korean stocks opened lower early Thursdays due to losses by large-cap technology shares.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 20.74 points, or 0.85 percent, to 2,398.32 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Tech shares mostly lost ground, with market kingpin Samsung Electronics moving down 1.92 percent and the country's No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix shedding 2.5 percent. LG Display also surrendered 2.19 percent. Auto shares also moved in negative terrain, with industry leader Hyund

Market Aug. 3, 2017

South Korea's potential growth rate for the foreseeable future could significantly decline because of a shrinking workforce caused by a rapidly aging population, the Bank of Korea chief warned Friday.At a forum with business executives on the southern resort island of Jeju, BOK Gov. Lee Ju-yeol called for deregulations and a search for new growth engines to mitigate the impact of the aging population.  The BOK expects South Korea's potential growth rate to stay at 2.8 or 2.9 percent between

Economy July 28, 2017

President Moon Jae-in is set to hold the second round of "candid beer" talks with top business leaders Friday, his office Cheong Wa Dae said, as he seeks to elicit their support for his economic agenda and listen to their difficulties.The meeting will come a day after Moon met with top executives from seven business groups -- Hyundai Motor, LG, POSCO, Hanwha, Shinsegae, Doosan and CJ, along with the head of Ottogi, a leading but comparatively small food company. Friday's dinner gatheri

Economy July 28, 2017

A business lobby representing small-sized businesses on Friday filed a complaint against the government's decision on next year's minimum wage hike. Earlier this month, a tripartite commission of the government, labor and management reached an agreement to increase the minimum hourly wage to 7,530 won ($6.68) in 2018, up 16.4 percent from the current 6,470 won. While the decision was hailed by the labor circle and part-time workers, small business owners immediately expressed concerns, saying it

Economy July 28, 2017