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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

Korean stock market expected to gain momentum after presidential election

Optimism is growing that the Korean stock market will gain upward momentum as political uncertainty eases following Tuesday's presidential election, according to securities analysts on Tuesday. They said so-called honeymoon rallies have often followed past presidential elections, and similar expectations are emerging this time, with potential boosts from a supplementary budget and economic stimulus measures. Some highlighted the food and beverage sector — which is projected to post stronger earnings — along with financial and brokerage stocks as areas worth watching. Heo Jae-hwan, an analyst at Eugene Investment & Securities, cited statistics showing that in only one of the last three presidential elections did the stock market decline a month after the vote. He noted that historically, market conditions following elections have generally been favorable. "In the past nine presidential elections, the KOSPI rose by around 3 to 4 percent one month after the election and by 14 to 16 percent over the following year," Heo said. "Out of the nine cases, the KOSPI declined one month, three mon

Jun 3, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Korean stock market expected to gain momentum after presidential election
Banking & Finance

Samsung Fire & Marine to host global insurance conference this week

Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance will host the Korea International Insurance Conference (KIIC) at Inspire Entertainment Resort in Incheon for two days starting Wednesday, the company said Monday. Now in its second year, the KIIC will bring together industry leaders and experts from leading global reinsurers, brokerage firms and related organizations. The conference aims to foster international exchange, deepen understanding of the insurance market and explore forward-looking strategies. Under the theme "Evolving Risks, Agile Action," this year's event will be co-hosted and sponsored by Samsung Fire — Korea's largest non-life insurer — in collaboration with major domestic and international non-life insurers and their affiliated institutions. At the conference, industry experts from top global insurers, including Aon and Munich Re, will share insights on navigating key uncertainties such as cyber threats and climate change risks in the non-life insurance sector. They will also discuss opportunities for new business development. The KIIC has notably grown this year in terms of scale. In 20

Jun 2, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Samsung Fire & Marine to host global insurance conference this week
Politics

Lee pledges new bank to spearhead southeastern economic revival

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea's presidential candidate, pledged Sunday to establish a new regional financial institution based in Busan. He said the bank, tentatively named the Southeast Investment Bank, aims to address the long-standing challenges faced by businesses in the southeastern region of the country. In a post on Facebook, Lee highlighted that many local enterprises in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province struggle to secure funding and attract investment due to the heavy concentration of financial infrastructure in the Seoul metropolitan area. He said this geographic imbalance has hindered regional businesses from competing fairly, limiting their growth and delaying the development of new industries, underscoring the need for a tailored financial support system for the southeastern region’s economic landscape. "Despite the Busan-Ulsan-South Gyeongsang region’s historical growth as a hub for heavy and chemical industries — such as shipbuilding, automotive manufacturing, petrochemicals and machinery — its competitiveness in the global market has been

Jun 1, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Lee pledges new bank to spearhead southeastern economic revival
Cryptocurrency

Crypto industry weary as populist pledges flood presidential race

The crypto industry is voicing frustration over a wave of populist policy pledges ahead of the June 3 presidential election, as many are widely seen as unrealistic, industry officials said Thursday. One prominent example is the proposed establishment of a tentatively named Korea Digital Asset Exchange, a joint initiative between a local government and crypto exchanges aimed at facilitating the trading of digital assets such as stablecoins. The idea reportedly originated from a subcommittee within the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea’s (DPK) election campaign team and does not reflect the party’s official stance. Nevertheless, it has received a lukewarm response from industry officials, who argue that the concept of establishing a public-private crypto exchange in a regional area lacks practicality. They also point out that proposing support for trading Korean won stablecoins and security tokens — which are only in the early stages of discussion — seems premature, especially given that the Busan Digital Asset Exchange, a similar initiative, has struggled to gain momentum.

May 29, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Crypto industry weary as populist pledges flood presidential race
Law & Crime

Will the man behind BTS go to jail?

Bang Si-hyuk, founder and chairman of HYBE, the K-pop powerhouse behind BTS, is under investigation by the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) for allegedly defrauding investors and pocketing some 400 billion won ($289 million) during the company’s initial public offering (IPO) process, according to sources in the financial industry Thursday. The financial watchdog reportedly suspects that the case may constitute fraudulent and unfair trading practices that undermine capital market order, and is preparing to refer the case to the prosecution through a fast-track process for an expedited investigation. If the allegations are confirmed, Bang could face severe legal consequences, as offenses involving illegal profits or avoiding losses of over 5 billion won are punishable under the Capital Markets Act by a minimum of five years in prison and up to life imprisonment. Bang is suspected of having agreed to share 30 percent of the capital gains from a stake sale with a private equity fund (PEF) established by an acquaintance prior to HYBE’s IPO in 2020, ultimately receiving around 400 bill

May 29, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Will the man behind BTS go to jail?
Banking & Finance

Kim & Chang lawyer to join IMM Private Equity

Lim Shin-kwon, a lawyer at major law firm Kim & Chang known for his expertise in merger and acquisition (M&A) advisory, is set to join IMM Private Equity (IMM PE), sources in the investment banking industry said Wednesday. Lim recently tendered his resignation at Kim & Chang and is expected to join IMM PE around August or September. Lim will take on the role of chief legal officer at the private equity firm, where he will oversee key responsibilities such as conducting legal reviews of investment deals, handling legal disputes and developing compliance frameworks. A graduate of Seoul National University, he passed the national bar exam in 1998. Kim & Chang describes Lim as an expert in M&As, corporate restructuring and private equity, offering legal counsel across these areas. "Lim has a wealth of experience advising both domestic and global funds, as well as major corporations, helping them successfully execute key transactions," the law firm’s website states. "He has played a key role in pioneering innovative deal structures that were attempted for the first time in Korea. In addition,

May 28, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Kim & Chang lawyer to join IMM Private Equity
Policy

Financial watchdog vows stronger oversight, reforms to restore trust in Korea’s capital market

The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) will strengthen oversight of controlling shareholders, enhance crackdowns on unfair trading practices and improve the market environment for foreign investors in an effort to accelerate structural reforms aimed at restoring trust in Korea’s capital markets, it said Wednesday. The financial watchdog also plans to institutionalize the intensive review system for rights offerings and regular audits of proxy voting practices while expanding the electronic monitoring of short selling and on-site inspections of private equity funds to improve both market transparency and investor protection. Hahm Yong-il, senior deputy governor of the FSS, emphasized during a media briefing that consistency and predictability are key, signaling that his agency will pursue long-term reforms rather than one-off measures. The media briefing was widely viewed as an opportunity to highlight the achievements of FSS Gov. Lee Bok-hyun, who will complete his term on June 5, and to express the organization’s commitment to maintaining its current policy direction and continuin

May 28, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Financial watchdog vows stronger oversight, reforms to restore trust in Korea’s capital market
Society

Korea's high senior employment rate masks low job quality

A 65-year-old man surnamed Kim, who retired three years ago from a medium-sized company after working in accounting, recently began working part-time stocking shelves at a neighborhood supermarket after struggling to find a new job. Having spent nearly 30 years in financial management, he believed his expertise would help him secure another position. However, companies showed little interest in hiring older people, and most roles available for them were limited to low-paying security or cleaning jobs. Kim noted that warehouse and inventory management positions were considered relatively better options. "I thought I could put my experience to good use, but the reality was different," he said. "Now I carry boxes for four hours a day at minimum wage. I have no choice because my pension is not enough to make ends meet." Korea is a peculiar case, as both the poverty and employment rates for older adults are among the highest in the world. According to the Pensions at a Glance 2023 report published by the OECD in November last year, the poverty rate among older Koreans stood at 40.4 percent

May 27, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Korea's high senior employment rate masks low job quality
Banking & Finance

Hanwha Life earns A1 rating from Moody’s on improved profitability

Moody’s has raised Hanwha Life Insurance’s credit rating from A2 to A1 and assigned a stable outlook, the insurer said Monday. In its rating rationale, the global credit rating agency said that Hanwha Life’s improved product mix and strengthened distribution capabilities — particularly through its general agency subsidiary — supported the upgrade. "The company’s minimal asset-liability duration gap will provide its regulatory solvency with strong resilience against interest rate risks amid declining interest rates," the agency noted, adding that it expects the firm to maintain solid capitalization and strong profitability over the next 12 to 18 months. This marks the latest in a series of upgrades for the insurer, following rating improvements in March by Korea’s three major credit rating agencies and an upgrade by global agency Fitch in May. "The credit rating upgrades by both domestic and global agencies, including Moody’s and Fitch, reflect growing recognition of our strong profitability and financial stability in the global market," a Hanwha Life official said.

May 26, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Hanwha Life earns A1 rating from Moody’s on improved profitability
Cryptocurrency

Presidential candidates divided over 'one crypto exchange-one bank' rule

The financial authorities and the crypto industry are closely monitoring the outcome of the June 3 presidential election, as presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party (PPP) have taken divergent stances on the so-called “one crypto exchange-one bank” rule. The regulation restricts crypto exchanges to partnering with only one bank for deposit and withdrawal accounts. Authorities and industry officials are bracing for potential impacts on the regulatory landscape if any changes are made to the rule. Kim has formally pledged to abolish the rule as part of his campaign platform, aiming to boost the domestic crypto industry. In contrast, Lee’s camp has effectively suspended internal discussions on the matter and has refrained from articulating a clear position, signaling his tacit support for maintaining the current system. Market observers note that Lee’s cautious approach likely reflects concerns over heightened money laundering risks and a potential increase in capital concentration at

May 26, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Presidential candidates divided over 'one crypto exchange-one bank' rule
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