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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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Alteogen's KOSPI move fuels concerns amid widening KOSPI-Kosdaq gap

Biotech giant Alteogen’s move toward a KOSPI listing transfer is fueling concerns within the venture capital industry and the Kosdaq market that the secondary bourse could become even more marginalized, according to industry officials and analysts Wednesday. The sense of crisis comes amid an unprecedented divergence in returns between the country’s main bourse, the KOSPI, and the Kosdaq. While the benchmark index has been driven higher by semiconductor heavyweights such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, major Kosdaq sectors, including biotech and battery stocks, have struggled to maintain momentum. Earlier in the day, the Korea Venture Capital Association, the Kosdaq Association and the Korea Venture Business Association released a joint statement calling on leading Kosdaq-listed companies to remain on the market, warning that the departure of blue-chip firms could weaken investor confidence and undermine the broader innovation ecosystem. The joint appeal by the three organizations is widely seen as a response to Alteogen’s planned move to the KOSPI. The biotech firm, currently

May 13, 2026By Jun Ji-hye
Alteogen's KOSPI move fuels concerns amid widening KOSPI-Kosdaq gap
Policy

KOSPI rally backed by 'real fundamentals' amid semiconductor boom: finance minister

The recent KOSPI rally is being driven more by improving semiconductor industry conditions and corporate earnings than by speculative overheating, Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol said Monday, as the benchmark index extended its record-breaking run above the 7,800 mark. Speaking at a press briefing, Koo said the Korean stock market remains undervalued compared with major advanced markets based on the price-to-book ratio (PBR). He added that the ongoing semiconductor supercycle fueled by rising artificial intelligence (AI) demand, along with strong earnings from Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, reflects “real fundamentals” supporting the market rally. “Statistically, the domestic stock market is still valued at a lower level than advanced markets in terms of PBR,” Koo said. “Views on the semiconductor market may differ depending on how the AI cycle unfolds, but considering the large volume of advance orders already placed through next year, I believe global and domestic investors are increasingly recognizing the potential of the Korean stock market.” Citing the first-quarter o

May 11, 2026By Jun Ji-hye
KOSPI rally backed by 'real fundamentals' amid semiconductor boom: finance minister
Others

Overdraft borrowing jumps as investors chase KOSPI rally

Park, 35, an office worker living in Mapo District, Seoul, recently transferred 20 million won ($13,600) from his overdraft account to a brokerage account to buy shares of SK hynix. Watching semiconductor stocks leading the KOSPI rally surge higher, he said, “I felt anxious that if I kept waiting, prices would climb even further. It was difficult to time investments with just my salary, so I eventually turned to my overdraft account.” Another office worker in her 40s living in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, also recently withdrew around 10 million won from her overdraft account. “While deposit and savings rates have fallen, I keep hearing people around me talk about profits from stocks,” she said. “It wasn’t so much that I was short on living expenses, but rather that I didn’t want to miss out on investment opportunities.” She also invested part of the withdrawn funds in shares of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. As of last Thursday, personal overdraft loan balances at the country’s five major banks — KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori and NH NongHyup — totaled 40.5 tri

May 11, 2026By Jun Ji-hye
Overdraft borrowing jumps as investors chase KOSPI rally
Cryptocurrency

Crypto industry squeezed by falling trading volume, tougher regulations

The domestic cryptocurrency industry is grappling with mounting concerns over a market downturn as trading activity sharply weakens amid the ongoing stock market boom and as financial authorities move to tighten regulations, industry officials said Sunday. According to data the Bank of Korea submitted to Rep. Cha Gyu-geun of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, both domestic investors’ crypto holdings and transaction volumes have fallen by more than half over the past year. The value of digital assets held by investors at the country’s five cryptocurrency exchanges — Upbit, Bithumb, Korbit, Coinone and Gopax — fell to 60.6 trillion won ($41.4 billion) at the end of February from 121.8 trillion won recorded at the end of January last year. Average daily trading volume also fluctuated sharply during the period. After climbing to 17.1 trillion won in December last year, trading volume plunged to around 4.5 trillion won by the end of February this year. “The sharp drop in domestic cryptocurrency holdings appears to have been driven by both capital flowing into the strong local stock m

May 10, 2026By Jun Ji-hye
Crypto industry squeezed by falling trading volume, tougher regulations
Banking & Finance

Hana Financial launches 5th startup program focused on AI entrepreneurship

Hana Financial Group has begun recruiting participants for the fifth edition of “Hana Social Venture University,” its flagship entrepreneurship support initiative aimed at fostering young startup founders, the company said Sunday. As part of the initiative, the group entered into a strategic partnership with Kyung Hee University to strengthen regional startup ecosystems. Launched in 2022 in cooperation with the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the program partners with leading universities across the country to provide practice-oriented entrepreneurship education, helping young entrepreneurs turn innovative ideas into sustainable businesses while cultivating talent suited to local industries and regional characteristics. The initiative began with 10 universities across five regions, before expanding nationwide to 30 universities the following year, emerging as a notable example of collaboration among the private sector, academia and government. By the end of 2025, a total of 431 startup teams launched through the program were operating steadily, while cumulative job creation had re

May 10, 2026By Jun Ji-hye
Hana Financial launches 5th startup program focused on AI entrepreneurship
Others

KOSPI rally masks widening market polarization, economic divide

Even as the KOSPI fuels one of the strongest bull runs in the market’s history, experts warned Thursday that the surge in the benchmark index should not be interpreted as a sign that economic conditions are improving evenly across society. They noted that with gains concentrated in a small group of heavyweight exporters, particularly semiconductor stocks, a considerable number of retail investors are finding it increasingly difficult to benefit from the rally, reinforcing market polarization in what is being described as a “K-shaped” trend. At the same time, elevated oil prices and broader cost-of-living pressures continue to dampen consumer sentiment, leaving small merchants and self-employed workers under financial strain. On Wednesday, the KOSPI jumped 6.45 percent from the previous trading day to close at 7,384.56, surpassing the 7,000 threshold for the first time since the index was introduced in 1983. On Thursday, it opened another 114.51 points, or 1.55 percent, higher at 7,499.07 and briefly climbed above the 7,500 mark for the first time intraday before ending the session

May 7, 2026By Jun Ji-hye
KOSPI rally masks widening market polarization, economic divide
Others

KOSPI breaks 7,000 milestone as chip rally fuels market surge

The KOSPI closed above the 7,000 mark for the first time on Wednesday, just about two months after crossing 6,000 points, extending its rally and repeatedly setting new record highs despite ongoing Middle East tensions. The KOSPI’s total market capitalization also surpassed 6,000 trillion won ($4.1 trillion) for the first time. The combined market capitalization of the KOSPI and Kosdaq had earlier exceeded the 6,000 trillion won mark on April 27. So far this year, Korea’s benchmark stock index has surged more than 70 percent from Dec. 30, 2025, fueled by strong liquidity driven by expectations for the artificial intelligence (AI) industry and earnings growth at semiconductor companies. This marks the fastest rally among G20 markets. Over the same period, Taiwan’s TAIEX index has risen about 40 percent, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 has gained around 18 percent. Notably, the KOSPI had dropped to 2,293.70 at the close on April 9, 2025, amid turbulence linked to U.S. tariff policy uncertainty, but has since surged nearly threefold in just over a year. The KOSPI opened at 7,093.01, up 2.25

May 6, 2026By Jun Ji-hye
KOSPI breaks 7,000 milestone as chip rally fuels market surge
Others

Omnibus account reforms spur foreign retail inflows, boost KOSPI rally

Improvements to the omnibus account system for foreign investors earlier this year led to a rise in foreign retail inflows into Korea’s stock market, supporting the KOSPI’s recent upward momentum, market experts said Tuesday. Korea introduced the omnibus account system in 2017 to facilitate foreign investors' trading of Korea-listed stocks. However, its adoption remained limited due to stringent eligibility criteria and unclear guidelines. To address this, the Financial Services Commission revised the relevant rules earlier this year, scrapping restrictions on account eligibility. The change allows overseas investors to trade Korean stocks directly through offshore brokers without opening separate accounts with local securities firms, significantly improving market access. “Foreign investors, who had been attracted to Korea’s strong semiconductor earnings and relatively low valuations, previously gained exposure mainly through exchange-traded funds. However, the easing of omnibus account regulations has paved the way for direct inflows of foreign retail capital,” said Kang Ji

May 5, 2026By Jun Ji-hye
Omnibus account reforms spur foreign retail inflows, boost KOSPI rally
Others

KOSPI tops 6,900 for 1st time as chip rally outweighs geopolitical tensions

The KOSPI surged more than 5 percent Monday to close above the 6,900 mark for the first time on record, driven by strong gains in semiconductor stocks, despite ongoing geopolitical tensions. The Kosdaq index and the Korean won also strengthened. The benchmark index opened at 6,782.93, up 184.06 points, or 2.79 percent from the previous close, and surpassed its intraday record of 6,750.27 set on Thursday. It maintained an upward trajectory throughout the session, quickly moving past the 6,800 level and then the 6,900 mark, before closing at 6,936.99, up 338.12 points, or 5.12 percent. On a closing basis, it exceeded its previous record close of 6,690.90 set last Wednesday, setting a new high in just two trading sessions. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix led the rally, jumping more than 5 percent and 12 percent, respectively. Notably, SK hynix rose above 1.4 million won ($955) per share, pushing its market capitalization past 1,000 trillion won for the first time. The secondary Kosdaq opened at 1,212.28, up 19.93 points, or 1.67 percent, and closed at 1,213.74, up 21.39 points, or 1.79 perc

May 4, 2026By Jun Ji-hye
KOSPI tops 6,900 for 1st time as chip rally outweighs geopolitical tensions
Banking & Finance

Mirae Asset's Korbit stake bid stirs up alleged favoritism

Mirae Asset Financial Group’s bid to acquire a stake in the virtual asset exchange Korbit has sparked controversy over possible preferential treatment, as critics say the deal effectively sidesteps restrictions on financial institutions owning crypto exchanges, industry officials said Monday. In February, Mirae Asset Consulting, an affiliate of the group, announced an agreement to purchase 26.91 million shares in Korbit — equivalent to a 92.06 percent stake — for 133.5 billion won ($91 million), citing plans to secure new growth drivers in the virtual asset sector. The Financial Intelligence Unit under the Financial Services Commission, the country’s top financial regulator, later approved changes to Korbit’s executive lineup, including the appointment of Mirae Asset Consulting representatives to its board. The remaining step is a review by the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), which has recently collected opinions from around 10 securities firms to assess the deal’s potential market impact. According to industry insiders, the FTC asked whether the combined entity could raise entr

May 4, 2026By Jun Ji-hye
Mirae Asset's Korbit stake bid stirs up alleged favoritism
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