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The Korea Times

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Opinion

Columnists

Peter S. Kim

Korea's defense industry rises

Since the outbreak of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, geopolitical risks have risen markedly around the world. The latest conflict between Israel and Palestine is another confirmation of the conflicts spreading to far corners of the world. With deglobalization being taken apart by the rising populism and nationalistic wave, countries are seeing the reversal of the “peace dividend” many took for granted. When the U.S. banned Huawei’s 5G equipment in 2019, it was the first early example of businesses impacted by rising geopolitical risk. A combination of authoritarian regimes and an increasin...

2023-11-14 16:35

Economics of K-pop

Korea has been known for its industriousness on the global stage for decades with its manufacturing prowess and hard-working culture. Making a jump from the traditional image is the Korean entertainment industry led by wildly popular K-pop, which has swept the world within a few years. K-pop used to be focused on Asian audiences until recently. Now it is expanding its platform to the U.S. and globally. Korea is seeking its next global consumer brand after Samsung handsets and Hyundai cars, and if K-pop stays on track, it could be the third consumer brand to make it in developed markets. Howe...

2023-10-18 16:30

China's growth scare

Since China announced its relaxation of the “zero COVID” policy early this year, many considered the event a final confirmation of the world returning to normal. However, the economic boon from China's reopening has been most underwhelming, with the expected bounce in consumption, overseas travel and corporate investments disappointing at best. The negative surprise from China is leading to talks of China following the footsteps of Japan's “lost decades,” where, despite countless stimulus efforts, stagnant growth persisted for almost 30 years.

2023-08-27 16:30

Fine line between investing and gambling

Since the pandemic outbreak, the surge in retail investor participation has led to some powerful price action rarely seen in recent history. During the lockdown, retail investors stuck at home discovered the mobile-enabled stock trading apps that made trading stocks easy as playing video games. The popularity of trading apps combined with the emergence of investment bloggers with huge followings is seen as a way to democratize the stock market customarily controlled by mutual fund managers and hedge fund billionaires. As the popularity of the trading “meme” stocks grew, there have been many ...

2023-07-30 16:30

Investors prefer US over China

As we pass the year's halfway mark, it is a good time for investors to reflect on the past six months, laden with a few surprises. So far, the current rally in the stock market is commonly referred to as “pain trade” among professionals who expected the year to suffer further downsides from a looming recession.

2023-07-02 16:30

Dark mystery behind 'jeonse'

The Korean stock market is still reeling from the pyramid scheme using contracts for difference (CFD), which was used to ramp up stocks over many years until everything collapsed within days. The Korean prosecutors arrested the alleged mastermind Ra Deok-yeon, head of an unregistered investment consulting firm, and his associate.

2023-05-31 16:30

Retail investors prefer financial assets to residential property

Another painful lesson in stock investing was observed last month when Korean retail investors learned a bitter lesson in momentum trading after a group of stocks dropped more than 50 percent in just a few days.

2023-05-22 16:30

Financial crisis and whale theory

Since the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank launched its historic rate hikes, investors held their breath for the “whale” to surface. Many investors swear by the theory that a major victim (whale) has to appear before the bottom of a bear market can be confirmed.

2023-03-27 17:00

Corporate governance fight over SM Entertainment

In a rare event that happens every decade or so, a war is being waged around SM Entertainment, one of the most successful entertainment companies in South Korea, which manages several world-famous K-pop groups. This time, the struggle for management control is between Kakao, the internet conglomerate, and HYBE, another K-pop company that has the ridiculously popular group BTS on its roster. The tussle is over the controlling stake of SM held by its founder, Lee Soo-man, and is challenged by a consortium comprised of SM management, Kakao, and activist fund Align Partners.

2023-03-05 16:40

Investing wisdom of a black rabbit

This year, we bid goodbye to the Year of the Tiger and welcome the Year of the Rabbit. For those who care, people born in the year of the rabbit are said to be peaceful types who avoid confrontation and possess high intelligence. On the other hand, they are also susceptible to jealousy and pessimism.The year 2023 is also notable for the year of the black rabbit, which comes around every 60 years, suggesting a magnified version.

2023-02-05 16:40

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