The interest rate differentials between the United States and South Korea have had a negligible effect on the outflow of foreign capital from the domestic bond market, showed a study by Korea’s central bank on Wednesday. This finding stood in contrast to widespread views that foreign capital outflow from the Korean financial market would be accelerated if the base rate of the US Federal Reserve were higher than the Bank of Korea.  The study, “Determinants of Capital Flows in the

Market Dec. 19, 2018

The head of South Korea’s central bank on Tuesday warned of persisting internal and external risks in Asia’s fourth-largest economy and the lack of a driver for economic growth other than semiconductor businesses within the next five years. In a press conference Tuesday evening, Bank of Korea Gov. Lee Ju-yeol said Korea has yet to come up with an alternative in the face of the downturn of the semiconductor-making business, mainly led by market giants, such as Samsung Electronics and

Economy Dec. 19, 2018

South Korea’s short-term sovereign bond yield has hovered just above the base rate, due to lingering market impact from the government’s plan to repurchase bonds before maturity and market uncertainties at home and abroad.The three-year sovereign bond yield came to 1.795 percent at the Monday session’s close, showed data from the Korea Financial Investment Association. On Friday, the bond yield recorded its lowest figure since September 2017 at 1.781 percent.The bond yield move

Market Dec. 17, 2018

Lotte Group is poised to sell its financing unit Lotte Capital and discuss the matter in the respective board of directors meetings of its shareholding Lotte subsidiaries this week, according to a news report Monday. Lotte Capital is a privately held finance service provider dedicated to installment financing and facility leasing. Nearly 90 percent of shares are owned by Lotte subsidiaries and affiliates. Hotel Lotte owns 39.37 percent of stocks, Lotte Corporation has 25.64 percent, Lotte Engine

Market Dec. 17, 2018

The South Korean market operator’s decision to delist a local pharmaceuticals company is raising questions about the fairness in authorities’ action against firms accused of accounting errors, with investors comparing the case to that of Samsung BioLogics. A panel led by the Korea Exchange, the nation’s sole market operator, suggested Friday the removal of Kyung Nam Pharm, a Seoul-headquartered pharmaceutical company, from the second-tier Kosdaq market, putting the fate of the

Market Dec. 16, 2018

South Korea’s stock market benchmark indexes were moderately higher Thursday on signs of abating trade strife between the United States and China. The top-tier benchmark Kospi inched up 0.6 percent higher than the previous trading day’s close, while the second-tier Kosdaq ticked up 0.8 percent. On the main bourse, foreign investors net purchased shares worth 484.4 billion won ($431.3 million). Domestic institutional investors net sold stocks worth 311.7 billion won, ending a net buyi

Market Dec. 13, 2018

A listed South Korean golf course operator with a track record of doing business in North Korea hit the price ceiling Tuesday on anticipation that US business guru Jim Rogers had been nominated as the sole candidate to become the company’s outside director. Ananti, listed on second-tier bourse Kosdaq, rose 26.8 percent from Monday’s closing price. It touched the price ceiling at 12,800 won ($11.30), trading 29.8 percent higher, in late afternoon intraday trade. Ananti was the 26th-la

Market Dec. 11, 2018

Kyobo Life Insurance, South Korea’s third-largest life insurance firm by total assets, announced Tuesday it would seek an initial public offering by the second half of next year to raise capital in the face of new industrywide regulations to gauge capital requirement.The decision was made during a board of directors’ meeting Tuesday at 11 a.m. in Seoul. The volume of capital it will seek to raise has yet to be determined, the company added.Kyobo will become the sixth life insura

Market Dec. 11, 2018

The Korea Exchange, South Korea’s sole securities market operator, decided Monday to resume transactions of Samsung BioLogics shares, about a month after the company was slapped with a trading suspension on accusations of accounting misconduct. Following the decision, investors are allowed to trade Samsung BioLogics shares on the main bourse Kospi as per normal starting Tuesday. The KRX said in a release that BioLogics’ improving profitability overshadows concerns about business

Market Dec. 10, 2018

Woori Bank, South Korea’s fourth-largest commercial bank by total assets, has opened its fourth foreign banking center in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, according to the bank on Monday.  A foreign banking center is a specialized branch exclusively for foreign customers. They can open a bank account and receive financial services such as cross-border money transfers, currency exchange and card management.The branch opens weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Market Dec. 10, 2018

Foreign investors’ flight from the Korean securities market eased by the end of November, followed by signs of relief in stock performances, monthly data showed Monday.Foreign investors net purchased Korean stocks and bonds worth 447 billion won ($397.2 million) throughout November, ending a losing streak of two consecutive months, according to the latest data compiled by the Financial Supervisory Service. They net sold securities worth 1.3 trillion won in September and 4.9 trillion won in

Market Dec. 10, 2018

The Korea Exchange, the operator of the nation’s equity market, seeks to review this week the accounting misconduct of the country’s second-largest biotech company by market cap, which could result in the delisting of the company in the worst-case scenario. “The initial meeting timeline has not yet been fixed but it may take place as early as Monday,” an official from the bourse operator said Sunday.In early December, the KRX established a seven-member panel to look into

Market Dec. 9, 2018

When New York-based coworking space operator WeWork set foot in Seoul in August 2016 with its first office in the affluent Gangnam-gu district, the staff’s main task was to overcome uncertainties in the Korean market, where the concept of coworking spaces was new. Two years later, WeWork Korea is on a roll, tasked instead with meeting soaring demand for easier and trouble-free leases. Masterminding the leap forward in Asia’s fourth-largest economy is Kang Dong-jin, senior director of real estate

Industry Nov. 27, 2018

An investment management service that works through voice recognition will be added to Bixby, Samsung Electronics’ flagship artificial intelligence-based platform.Through voice commands, Bixby will not only be able to deliver company information, such as revenue and profit, from financial statements, but also invest in certain stocks or market sectors upon a user’s request.The development of the new Bixby service is set to be completed by the first half of 2019, according to financia

Market Nov. 23, 2018