The Korea Times

KOSPI climbs for 4th session on ceasefire optimism, though momentum weakens

KOSPI continued its upward trajectory Tuesday, following news of a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, though the pace of gains slowed compared with the previous session. The country’s benchmark index opened at 8,696.55, up 150.57 points, or 1.76 percent, extending its winning streak to a fourth consecutive session. The rally, however, lost momentum as trading progressed, with the index briefly falling to 8,540.41 around 10 a.m. It later rebounded to close at 8,726.60, up 180.62 points, or 2.11 percent. The gains were notably more modest than Monday’s 5.20 percent surge. Overnight on Wall Street, all three major indexes ended higher as investor sentiment improved after Washington and Tehran agreed to formally sign a peace accord in Geneva on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.92 percent to a record close. The S&P 500 added 1.65 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite jumped 3.07 percent. Oil prices also fell sharply as geopolitical tensions eased. Brent crude and U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures declined 4.9 percent and 4.8 percent, resp

Jun 16, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

KOSPI climbs for 4th session on ceasefire optimism, though momentum weakens

Companies

Kosdaq firms struggle with rising workload amid shareholder reform push

Complaints are mounting among investor relations officers at listed companies as workloads surge amid the government’s push to enhance corporate value and strengthen minority shareholder rights, industry officials said Tuesday. They said compliance pressure has intensified due to a series of new requirements, including expanded English-language disclosure obligations, mandatory reporting of shareholder meeting voting outcomes and stricter executive compensation disclosure standards. The government has been advancing sweeping reforms to the corporate disclosure framework as part of broader efforts to upgrade the local capital market and narrow the so-called Korea discount, which refers to the chronic undervaluation of Korean equities. Financial regulators have gradually expanded mandatory English disclosures since January 2024. Earlier this year, the requirement was extended to all KOSPI-listed firms with assets exceeding 2 trillion won ($1.3 billion). Under the initiative, all companies listed on the benchmark market will be required to provide English-language disclosures starting in

Jun 16, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

Kosdaq firms struggle with rising workload amid shareholder reform push

Others

Foreign investors return to KOSPI buying, powering rally above 8,000

Foreign investors returned to net buying in the KOSPI market on Friday for the first time in 25 trading days, fueling a sharp rally that briefly sent the benchmark index soaring past the 8,400 mark during intraday trading. KOSPI opened 6.44 percent higher at 8,263.85, up 499.90 points from the previous session, and briefly surged as much as 8.5 percent to hit an intraday high of 8,424.13 before paring gains to close at 8,123.62, up 359.67 points, or 4.63 percent, on the day. The rapid advance in KOSPI futures prompted the Korea Exchange to activate a sidecar, temporarily halting program buy orders early in the trading session. Foreign investors played a pivotal role in KOSPI’s rebound, snapping a prolonged selling streak with net purchases of 2.12 trillion won ($1.4 billion) on the day. Institutional investors also lent strong support, buying a net 2.4 trillion won in stocks. The return to net buying came after nearly a month of heavy foreign outflows that had weighed on the market. Before Friday, overseas investors had sold a net 75.6 trillion won worth of KOSPI shares over 24 straigh

Jun 12, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

Foreign investors return to KOSPI buying, powering rally above 8,000

Policy

Korea's tax agency seeks transformation from tax collector to integrated revenue authority

The National Tax Service (NTS) aims to evolve from a traditional tax collector into an integrated public revenue authority capable of overseeing the nation’s overall fiscal revenues, Commissioner Lim Kwang-hyun said Thursday. As part of its key policy direction for its second year under the Lee Jae Myung administration, the NTS plans to overhaul the current collection system and establish an integrated framework for non-tax revenues, which are currently administered separately under more than 300 laws, to bring delinquent payments under its control. “Our goal is to transform ourselves from the National Tax Service into a Korea Revenue Service. The reform would allow the government to consolidate scattered state revenues and manage them more effectively to support broader fiscal innovation,” Lim said during a press conference marking the first anniversary of the Lee administration. Non-tax revenues cover a broad range of government charges, including traffic penalties issued by police agencies and environmental charges collected by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment. Cu

Jun 11, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

Korea's tax agency seeks transformation from tax collector to integrated revenue authority

Others

KOSPI rout pushes forced stock sales to highest level in nearly 3 years

The recent increase in stock market volatility is raising fears that retail investors who used borrowed funds to buy stocks could face heavy losses, analysts said Wednesday. Warning signs surrounding leveraged bets intensified after forced liquidations during last week’s sharp KOSPI decline climbed to their highest level in nearly three years. Data from the Korea Financial Investment Association showed that actual forced liquidations against outstanding margin loans surged to 166.2 billion won ($109 million) on Friday, when the benchmark KOSPI tumbled 5.54 percent. The figure was sharply higher than the 16.8 billion won to 33.1 billion won range recorded between June 1 and 4. It marked the highest level since Oct. 20, 2023, when forced liquidations soared to a record 549.7 billion won due to massive unpaid margin balances triggered by the trading halt of Young Poong Paper. The ratio of forced liquidations to margin loans reached 9.1 percent also on Friday, the highest level this year. In margin trading, investors buy stocks with short-term funds borrowed from brokerage firms. Although o

Jun 10, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

KOSPI rout pushes forced stock sales to highest level in nearly 3 years

Others

KOSPI retakes 8,000 mark as chip stocks lead sharp rebound

Korean stocks rebounded sharply Tuesday as semiconductor shares rallied worldwide, with KOSPI surging more than 8 percent to reclaim the 8,000-point threshold, while Kosdaq also posted strong gains. Amid heightened volatility in domestic financial markets, a sharp sell-off a day earlier had triggered circuit breakers and sell-side sidecars in the KOSPI and Kosdaq markets. Just one day later, however, both markets staged a rapid recovery, prompting buy-side sidecars on both exchanges. The benchmark KOSPI opened at 7,697.76, up 213.35 points, or 2.85 percent, from the previous session, and extended its gains throughout the day before closing at 8,096.93, up 612.52 points, or 8.18 percent, from the previous session. The rally largely offset Monday's 8.29 percent decline. The strength of the rebound triggered a buy-side sidecar at 9:12 a.m. after sharp gains in KOSPI 200 futures. Program buy orders were suspended for five minutes under exchange rules designed to curb excessive market volatility. At the time, the KOSPI 200 futures index stood at 1,239.05, up 60.80 points, or 5.16 percent, fr

Jun 9, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

KOSPI retakes 8,000 mark as chip stocks lead sharp rebound

Companies

Upstage faces IPO uncertainty amid ex-presidential secretary's shareholding controversy

Upstage, an artificial intelligence (AI) startup preparing for an initial public offering (IPO), is facing renewed scrutiny over allegations concerning its ties to Ha Jung-woo, the former senior presidential secretary for AI policy and future planning who ran in the June 3 parliamentary by-election in Busan's Buk-A constituency. Investment banking industry observers said Tuesday that the issue has attracted heightened public attention and taken on greater significance because independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, who defeated Ha in the election, kept it in the spotlight throughout the campaign. They added that if Han continues to scrutinize the matter in the National Assembly, the controversy could become a source of uncertainty for the company's planned stock market debut. Conflict-of-interest concerns emerged because Ha owned shares in Upstage while serving as senior presidential secretary, and the company was subsequently selected as one of five operators of the government's proprietary AI foundation model project in August 2025. The initiative, often referred to as Korea's "national A

Jun 9, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

Upstage faces IPO uncertainty amid ex-presidential secretary's shareholding controversy

Others

KOSPI plunges 8% on concerns over end of chip earnings cycle, interest rate hike

Korean stocks tumbled Monday, as a broad-based correction in global semiconductor shares triggered heavy selling across the market, prompting the activation of both sidecar trading curbs and circuit breakers on the KOSPI and Kosdaq markets. Attention is centered on whether KOSPI, which has staged a record-breaking rally this year, can resume its upward trajectory after a short-term correction or whether market volatility will intensify further. The benchmark KOSPI opened 112.50 points, or 1.38 percent, lower at 8,048.09 before extending its losses throughout the session to close at 7,484.41, down 676.18 points, or 8.29 percent. The index reached an all-time intraday high of 8,933.62 on June 2. After plunging 5.54 percent on Friday, the KOSPI posted losses for a second consecutive session, underscoring growing concerns over a pullback in semiconductor stocks that had fueled the market's recent rally. Amid heavy selling pressure, trading restrictions kicked in shortly after the market opened, with a Level 1 circuit breaker triggered at 9:03 a.m. and a sell-side sidecar activated at 9:34 a.

Jun 8, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

KOSPI plunges 8% on concerns over end of chip earnings cycle, interest rate hike

Banking & Finance

Will Hana Financial challenge Kbank for Upbit partnership?

Hana Financial Group’s recent investment in Dunamu, the operator of Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Upbit, has fueled speculation that Upbit’s six-year banking partnership with Kbank could face new competition, industry officials said Monday. Hana Bank, a key affiliate of the financial group, recently purchased a 6.5 percent stake in Dunamu from Kakao Investment for about 1 trillion won ($647 million), becoming the company’s fourth-largest shareholder. The deal makes Hana Financial the first Korean financial holding company to take an ownership stake in a cryptocurrency exchange operator. With Upbit’s partnership with Kbank for real-name deposit and withdrawal accounts set to expire in October, some industry observers believe Hana Financial may seek to secure the banking partnership, potentially reshaping the long-standing relationship between Upbit and Kbank. “For banks, a real-name account partnership with a cryptocurrency exchange is a strategic business opportunity rather than a simple transactional relationship, given its impact on customer acquisition and depos

Jun 8, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

Will Hana Financial challenge Kbank for Upbit partnership?

Others

AI-fueled Samsung affiliates reshape KOSPI market cap rankings

The composition of KOSPI's largest companies has shifted markedly this year as investor enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI) propelled Samsung Group affiliates and semiconductor-related stocks higher, while secondary battery, shipbuilding and defense shares that dominated the market last year lost ground, according to the Korea Exchange Sunday. Among the top 10 KOSPI companies by market capitalization, excluding preferred shares, only Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and KB Financial Group maintained their rankings from the end of last year through Friday, holding the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 10 spots, respectively. The positions of the other seven companies changed within less than six months. Several Samsung affiliates entered the top 10 by market capitalization this year, led by Samsung Electro-Mechanics. Benefiting from the AI boom, the company saw its share price surge 589 percent as demand and prices for multilayer ceramic capacitors, a key component used in AI servers, climbed sharply. As a result, its market capitalization expanded from about 19 trillion won ($12 billion) to 131

Jun 8, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

Jun Ji-hye

Read more

KOSPI climbs for 4th session on ceasefire optimism, though momentum weakens

Kosdaq firms struggle with rising workload amid shareholder reform push

Foreign investors return to KOSPI buying, powering rally above 8,000

Korea's tax agency seeks transformation from tax collector to integrated revenue authority

KOSPI rout pushes forced stock sales to highest level in nearly 3 years

KOSPI retakes 8,000 mark as chip stocks lead sharp rebound

Upstage faces IPO uncertainty amid ex-presidential secretary's shareholding controversy

KOSPI plunges 8% on concerns over end of chip earnings cycle, interest rate hike

Will Hana Financial challenge Kbank for Upbit partnership?

AI-fueled Samsung affiliates reshape KOSPI market cap rankings

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