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Jun Ji-hye

Korea Times Finance Reporter

Hello, I am Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at The Korea Times. I primarily cover financial authorities and write articles on a wide range of topics related to finance and capital markets. If you have any information to share, feel free to email me at jjh@koreatimes.co.kr, and I will review it carefully. I am committed to always doing my best to communicate with readers through high-quality articles.

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Banking & Finance

Banks ramp up drive to attract foreign direct investment

Banks are stepping up efforts to capture a larger share of the foreign direct investment (FDI) market amid rising foreign capital inflows, as political uncertainty subsides following the launch of the new government administration on June 4 and expectations for economic stimulus grow, industry officials said Wednesday. FDI refers to foreign investors making direct investments in shares or equity issued by domestic firms. Banks support these transactions by handling reporting procedures, opening accounts and facilitating foreign currency transfers, earning fees for these services. On June 24, KB Kookmin Bank signed a business agreement with the Korea Venture Investment Corp. to promote foreign investment in Korean venture companies. Under the agreement, the two institutions will offer customized financial services for foreign investors interested in domestic startups, with the bank's FDI specialists providing practical support. The bank also plans to operate dedicated branches specializing in venture investment. "Interest in Korean venture companies is growing, with annual investments fro

Jul 2, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Banks ramp up drive to attract foreign direct investment
Companies

Shares of holding firms soar on planned passage of Commercial Act revision

Shares of major conglomerate holding companies surged Tuesday amid growing investor optimism over the expected passage of a revision to the Commercial Act under the new administration, according to industry officials. According to the Korea Exchange, shares of HS Hyosung on the country's main bourse, KOSPI, soared to 91,600 won ($68), marking a 29.93 percent increase from the previous day's close. Shares of other conglomerate holding companies also posted strong gains. Hanwha Corp. — the de facto holding company of Hanwha Group — jumped 15.38 percent to close at 108,800 won, while Lotte Corp. climbed 8.45 percent to 30,150 won. The Commercial Act revision aims to expand corporate directors' fiduciary duties to include greater responsibility toward shareholders. It was passed in the National Assembly on March 13 with the unilateral endorsement of the then-opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), but was vetoed by then-acting President Han Duck-soo on April 1 and subsequently scrapped following another vote. President Lee Jae Myung, elected on the DPK ticket, had pledged during his ca

Jul 1, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Shares of holding firms soar on planned passage of Commercial Act revision
Banking & Finance

MG Non-Life Insurance shifts from liquidation to sale under new administration

Financial authorities are once again pursuing the sale of MG Non-Life Insurance, shifting from their initial plan to liquidate the company through the establishment of a bridge insurer, according to government and industry officials Tuesday. The state-run Korea Deposit Insurance Corp. (KDIC) said it has reached a broad agreement with the labor union of MG Non-Life to pursue both the transfer of insurance contracts to five non-life insurers and the company's sale. "While we will proceed with transferring contracts to five insurers through a bridge insurance company, the agreement also includes a plan to pursue the sale of MG Non-Life for a certain period, as long as it does not delay the establishment of the bridge insurer or the contract transfer schedule," a KDIC official said. Last month, authorities decided to liquidate MG Non-Life by establishing a bridge insurer, following four failed attempts to sell the company. However, the abrupt policy reversal comes just six weeks after that decision and follows the inauguration of the Lee Jae-myung administration on June 4, amid pressure from

Jul 1, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
MG Non-Life Insurance shifts from liquidation to sale under new administration
Banking & Finance

Hanwha Life secures controlling stake in Indonesia's Nobu Bank

Hanwha Life Insurance has made a strategic investment to secure a 40 percent stake in Nobu Bank from Indonesia's Lippo Group, becoming a key shareholder with management rights, the insurer said Monday. The deal was finalized about a year after Hanwha Life signed a share purchase agreement with Lippo Group, the sixth-largest conglomerate in the Southeast Asian country, in May last year. With this move, Hanwha Life became the first Korean insurer to pursue entry into the overseas banking sector. As of 2024, Nobu Bank holds total assets of about 3 trillion won ($2.2 billion) and continues to show steady growth, with net profit more than doubling from 12 billion won in 2023 to 27.9 billion won in 2024. With this investment, Hanwha's financial affiliates have further solidified their presence in Indonesia as a comprehensive global financial group, expanding their footprint across life insurance, nonlife insurance, securities, asset management and now banking. Hanwha Life aims to leverage its digital finance capabilities in combination with Nobu Bank's local offline network to drive innovation

Jun 30, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Hanwha Life secures controlling stake in Indonesia's Nobu Bank
Banking & Finance

How will new household loan restrictions affect bank stocks?

The government's announcement of its strongest-ever measures to tighten regulations on household lending is prompting expectations that the recent rally in bank stocks may lose momentum, according to securities analysts Monday. The outlook comes as tighter lending rules are likely to weigh down on banks' earnings, given that interest income accounts for a large portion of their profits. The Financial Services Commission (FSC), the country's top financial regulator, announced plans Friday to cut total household lending across all financial sectors to half of the initially projected amount, starting in July. The measures set a mortgage loan ceiling of 600 million won ($445,000) for home purchases in the Seoul metropolitan area and designated regulatory zones. Securities firms expect the latest policy measures to reduce the annual growth rate of household loans in the banking sector from the 4 percent range to the 3 percent range, including government-backed loans. The FSC also anticipates that the new regulations will help curb loan growth by around 20 trillion won each year. Nevertheless, a

Jun 30, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
How will new household loan restrictions affect bank stocks?
Others

Pet ownership in Korea hits 15 million

More than 15 million people in Korea owned pets as of December last year, accounting for nearly 30 percent of the national population, according to a report released by KB Financial Group, Sunday. Since 2017, the financial group has published a biannual report offering insights and guidelines based on analysis of the country's pet-owning households' experiences, aiming to foster a more mature pet ownership culture. The report found that about 15.46 million people in Korea were pet owners in 2024, accounting for 29.9 percent of the total population. Pet-owning households totaled 5.91 million, representing 26.7 percent of all households nationwide. This marked an increase of 60,000, or 1.1 percentage points, from 2023. Pet owners reported higher levels of satisfaction, with 76 percent expressing contentment with raising pets, an increase of 8.7 percentage points. The percentage of those intending to continue raising pets rose to 74 percent, up 11.4 percentage points, while those willing to recommend pet ownership to others increased by 7.5 percentage points to 49.4 percent. With the growing

Jun 30, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Pet ownership in Korea hits 15 million
Companies

MBK, Young Poong welcome court ruling against Korea Zinc's share issuance to Hyundai Motor affiliate

A Seoul court ruled that Korea Zinc's issuance of new shares through a third-party allotment to HMG Global, an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, is invalid as it violated the firm's articles of incorporation, according to company and industry officials Sunday. The MBK Partners-Young Poong alliance, Korea Zinc's largest shareholder and a long-time rival in the ongoing management rights dispute, welcomed the court's decision, while the world's largest zinc smelter said it plans to file an appeal. With Korea Zinc stating its intention to appeal, the newly issued shares will remain valid until courts reach a final decision, meaning for now there will be no major shift in the dynamics of the ownership dispute. On Friday, the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of Young Poong in its lawsuit against the zinc smelting firm over the validity of the share issuance. The court found that the issuance violated the rights of existing shareholders, invalidating approximately 1 million common shares issued on Sept. 13, 2023. The MBK-Young Poong alliance called the ruling "a reaffirmation of the l

Jun 29, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
MBK, Young Poong welcome court ruling against Korea Zinc's share issuance to Hyundai Motor affiliate
Companies

Are Korea's shipbuilders nearing peak-out?

Korea's shipbuilding industry, which has enjoyed a strong stock market rally amid a rare supercycle, now faces growing concerns among investors about an imminent peak-out — a slowdown after reaching its peak value, according to securities analysts, Thursday. However, despite falling global ship orders and U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive tariff policies, the industry's upward momentum is expected to continue for the time being, they said, citing solid fundamentals and resilient market indicators. Samsung Securities analyst Han Young-soo said that, while concerns persist over valuation pressures and a possible peak-out, the shipbuilding industry remains in a robust growth phase. "With the overall machinery sector on the rise this year, there is no reason for shipbuilding stocks to be undervalued compared to their peers," Han said. Han pointed out that HD Hyundai Heavy Industries warrants a valuation premium, especially given the upward momentum in machinery sector valuations. He also highlighted the shipbuilder's potential benefits from expanding into the overseas maritime defens

Jun 27, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Are Korea's shipbuilders nearing peak-out?
Banking & Finance

Eximbank opens new IT center to bolster digital financial services

The Export-Import Bank of Korea has established its own IT center on the grounds of its training institute in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, the bank said Thursday. The new IT center, which opened on Wednesday, comprises a three-story data center building and a four-story office building with one basement level, covering a total area of 9,877 square meters. The bank selected the site in 2019, began construction in 2023 and received final approval for use last month. During the facility's construction, the bank upgraded its core IT infrastructure by replacing major servers, storage and network systems with the latest models. It also completed system software enhancements and implemented dual power and communication systems, improving the safety and availability of operations to support uninterrupted service. Additionally, the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered real-time monitoring for performance and errors, combined with a cloud-based infrastructure platform, is expected to improve IT resource efficiency and enable the early detection and prevention of potential failures. The sta

Jun 26, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Eximbank opens new IT center to bolster digital financial services
Health

Gachon Univ. medical team performs free heart surgeries for 5 Mongolian children

Gachon University Gil Medical Center recently performed free surgeries for five Mongolian children with congenital heart disease and held a ceremony to mark their full recovery, the hospital said Wednesday. This initiative was carried out in partnership with Incheon City as part of a broader medical aid program targeting children with congenital heart conditions in Asian countries. For its latest effort, the hospital’s medical volunteers traveled to Ulaanbaatar from April 18 to 24 to conduct thorough cardiac screenings, selecting five children in need of urgent surgical intervention. The children were brought to Korea and underwent surgeries between June 11 and 16. One of the children is Naranbayar Nandin Erdene, a five-year-old Mongolian girl. She had already undergone two surgeries in Mongolia, but her condition remained critical. Frequent illnesses had weakened her immune system, preventing her from attending kindergarten. Further treatment seemed out of reach in her home country due to limited medical resources and financial constraints. Thanks to the intervention of Gachon Universi

Jun 25, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Gachon Univ. medical team performs free heart surgeries for 5 Mongolian children
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