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Lee Yeon-woo

Korea Times Finance Reporter

Lee Yeon-woo is a financial journalist at The Korea Times. Her wide range of reporting includes policies, macroeconomics, stock market, companies and even crypto. She is passionate about connecting the dots in Korean finance and making it easier for foreign nationals to understand. Based on her previous experience as a national reporter, she also has a keen interest in social issues within the sector, including gender equality and ESG. Your tips and insights are always appreciated. You can send them to yanu@koreatimes.co.kr.

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Economy

EXPLAINER Why Korea's mandatory tender offer plan is drawing global scrutiny

The proposed revival of Korea's mandatory tender offer system, abolished in 1998 following the Asian financial crisis, has reignited debate nearly three decades later. The idea behind the system is simple: When someone buys a company, smaller shareholders should have a chance to sell their shares at the same price as the company's largest shareholder. Under the bill pending in the National Assembly, a buyer taking control of a company would have to purchase enough shares through a public tender offer to raise its ownership to at least 50 percent plus one share. The goal is to protect minority shareholders, particularly retail investors, who could otherwise miss out on the higher prices paid in corporate takeovers. Here's why the rule matters: Imagine Company A wants to take over Company B. Company B's largest shareholder, Kim, owns 40 percent of its shares, while smaller shareholders own the remaining 60 percent. Company A offers to buy Kim's entire stake at a price above the current market price. By acquiring Kim's 40 percent stake, Company A gains control of Company B. Kim walks away wit

2d agoBy Lee Yeon-woo
[EXPLAINER] Why Korea's mandatory tender offer plan is drawing global scrutiny
Banking & Finance

Deutsche Bank urges Korean financial markets to match its companies' global reach

Deutsche Bank said Korea needs to improve financial market accessibility and regulatory predictability to attract more global capital, as its world-class companies continue to underpin the country's investment appeal. In a recent exclusive interview with The Korea Times, Alexander von zur Muehlen, Deutsche Bank's CEO of Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa and Germany, said "few economies have produced such a concentration of globally competitive companies across strategically important industries" as Korea has. "The next step is to make its financial markets as international as its companies," said von zur Muehlen, who is also a member of the bank's management board. "Greater openness, simplicity and predictability can help broaden international participation." Korea has been opening its financial markets to global investors, introducing 24-hour foreign exchange trading in July. The country also allows foreign institutions to participate directly in its onshore foreign exchange market through the Registered Foreign Institution program, with Deutsche Bank among the first participa

2d agoBy Lee Yeon-woo
Deutsche Bank urges Korean financial markets to match its companies' global reach
Economy

Taiwan, China tap market rescue funds. Why won't Korea?

China and Taiwan have tapped market rescue funds to reverse last week's sharp stock sell-off, triggered by the U.S. midterm elections. Korea, meanwhile, is holding back, resisting calls from retail investors to deploy what policymakers consider a weapon of last resort. KOSPI has shed 11.13 percent since the start of November as of Monday, leaving the benchmark down 42.87 percent from its June 22 record high of 9,114.55 as concern mounts that the artificial intelligence boom has peaked. The government said it would temporarily suspend a rule requiring brokerages to maintain collateral worth at least 140 percent of margin loans from Monday through Jan. 31 next year. The move is aimed at preventing forced selling from deepening the market rout. But the measure has failed to satisfy 14.42 million retail investors, who are pushing for the activation of a market stabilization fund amid a dearth of major buyers. Share buyback programs by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix that helped absorb foreign selling ended on Oct. 21. While SK hynix has begun another round of repurchases, the new program is

Nov 11, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
Taiwan, China tap market rescue funds. Why won't Korea?
Economy

Korean stocks surge over 4% as risk appetite returns

Korean stocks surged more than 4 percent, Tuesday, as easing Middle East tensions and an overnight rally in U.S. semiconductor shares revived risk appetite. The benchmark closed at 5,239.13, up 4.39 percent. It opened 4.55 percent higher, triggering a buy-side sidecar at 9:06 a.m, but pared some of the early gains. Foreign investors turned net buyers for the first time in eight trading sessions, purchasing a net 353.2 billion won ($264.3 million) of shares. Institutional investors also bought a net 498 billion won, while retail investors sold a net 1.34 trillion won. Semiconductor stocks helped lift the index. SK hynix surged 6.69 percent to close at 1,212,000 won, while Samsung Electronics climbed 4.74 percent to 198,900 won. Power equipment shares also rallied amid improving sentiment toward the artificial intelligence (AI) value chain, with Hyosung Heavy Industries, HD Hyundai Electric and LS Electric gaining 12.72 percent, 10.67 percent and 8.33 percent, respectively. U.S. President Donald Trump signaled that military action could be avoided if negotiations made progress, following re

Nov 10, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
Korean stocks surge over 4% as risk appetite returns
Economy

Korea's economy is booming. Why isn't President Lee's popularity?

On paper, Korea's economy looks strong. Fueled by a semiconductor export boom, the country's annual exports are projected to top $1 trillion for the first time this year, making Korea only the fourth country to reach the milestone, after the United States, China and Germany. Forecasts from eight major investment banks put Korea's real gross domestic product growth at an average of 3.5 percent this year, with some expecting growth as high as 4 percent. Per capita gross national income is also expected to surpass $40,000 for the first time, potentially placing Korea sixth in the world by that measure. By those numbers, President Lee Jae Myung's approval ratings should be soaring. The economy, after all, is widely regarded as one of the biggest drivers of presidential popularity. Yet that is far from the case. A Realmeter survey of 2,528 adults nationwide, conducted from Nov. 2 to Friday for the Asia Business Daily, put Lee's approval rating at just 35.9 percent. His ratings have hovered between the high 30s and low 40s since October, a sharp decline from 67 percent seven months earlier. More

Nov 10, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
Korea's economy is booming. Why isn't President Lee's popularity?
Banking & Finance

Glass Lewis supports Lee Jae-keun's appointment as KB Financial chairman

Glass Lewis has advised shareholders to support the appointment of Lee Jae-keun as chairman of KB Financial Group, according to a voting recommendations report exclusively obtained by The Korea Times on Tuesday. The world’s second-largest proxy advisory firm said it had identified “no substantial issues for shareholder concern” regarding the proposed appointment. The report also flagged several ongoing issues facing the group, including allegations of collusion over loan terms and subsequent investigations by the Fair Trade Commission, as well as the Financial Supervisory Service’s investigation into the potential mis-selling of Hong Kong-linked equity-linked securities. While noting it had found no clear evidence linking the board to these matters that would warrant specific action at the upcoming shareholders’ meeting, Glass Lewis added that the ongoing legal proceedings and discussions would continue to be monitored. Such issues “may indicate weak internal controls or inadequate oversight of the Group, which could lead to undermining shareholder value, and therefore warran

Nov 3, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo and Park Han-sol
Glass Lewis supports Lee Jae-keun's appointment as KB Financial chairman
Economy

KOSPI rallies over 2% as investors look past US tech rout

KOSPI rose more than 2 percent Monday, as institutional buying helped stocks rebound from early losses, shrugging off lingering concerns over the profitability of artificial intelligence (AI) investments. The benchmark closed at 5,859.08, up 2.24 percent. It opened 1.62 percent lower before reversing course as institutional investors stepped up purchases. Institutional investors bought a net 1.36 trillion won ($1.01 billion) of shares, while foreign and retail investors net sold 43.09 billion won and 1.41 trillion won, respectively. SK hynix gained 3.81 percent to close at 1,472,000 won, while Samsung Electronics climbed 1.78 percent to 229,000 won. SK Square, which announced plans to return at least 4.3 trillion won to shareholders out of more than 6.2 trillion won expected from SK hynix's cash dividends, also gained 5.91 percent to close at 950,000 won. The rebound came despite a rout in U.S. semiconductor shares on Friday (local time), when Intel plunged 28 percent and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index tumbled 7.2 percent. Lee Kyoung-min, an analyst at Daishin Securities, said much

Nov 2, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
KOSPI rallies over 2% as investors look past US tech rout
Banking & Finance

Korean financial firms are buying into Japan's brokerage market

Japan's stock market rally and retail investing boom are attracting Korean financial firms seeking overseas growth, as mounting pressure on smaller brokerages creates acquisition opportunities, industry officials said Monday. Viva Republica, the operator of Korean fintech platform Toss, plans to acquire Cheer Securities through its Singapore-based subsidiary, Toss Global, in a deal valued at 4 billion yen ($25.35 million). It would mark Toss' first overseas acquisition. Cheer Securities, established in 2019 by Tokai Tokyo Financial Holdings, specializes in mobile trading, allowing customers to invest in stocks and exchange-traded funds in increments of 100 yen through its app. It also handles security token offerings. Mirae Asset Securities also signed an agreement Thursday to acquire Sanko Securities, a unit of Okasan Securities Group, through its U.S. subsidiary. Mirae Asset plans to inject 12 billion yen into its U.S. subsidiary, allocating about 5 billion yen toward the acquisition and the remainder to expanding its business in Japan after the transaction closes. Hanwha Investment &

Nov 2, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
Korean financial firms are buying into Japan's brokerage market
Banking & Finance

ISS backs Lee Jae-keun's appointment as KB Financial chairman

Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has recommended that shareholders vote in favor of appointing Lee Jae-keun as chairman of KB Financial Group. In its voting recommendations report obtained by The Korea Times, Sunday, the world's largest proxy advisory firm said "a vote for this resolution is warranted given the absence of any known issues concerning the nominee and the company's board dynamics." ISS also noted that KB Financial Group maintains good disclosure practices regarding committee meetings, voluntarily providing attendance records to help shareholders better assess directors' effectiveness and contributions. Most companies in Korea follow a disclosure template provided by the Korea Exchange that does not require companies to disclose committee meeting attendance records. As a result, it is common for companies to omit such information from regulatory filings, ISS added. The recommendation comes ahead of KB Financial Group's extraordinary shareholders' meeting on Nov. 20, when shareholders will vote on Lee's appointment as group chairman. If appointed, Lee will lead the gr

Nov 1, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
ISS backs Lee Jae-keun's appointment as KB Financial chairman
North Korea

COVER STORY North Korea has every incentive to keep stealing crypto, analysts say

The $6.36 billion cryptocurrency heist targeting Binance has exposed a troubling reality for the digital asset industry: North Korea is increasingly exploiting security vulnerabilities to bankroll Pyongyang's military ambitions. The stolen amount is equivalent to 22 percent of North Korea's 2025 gross domestic product, making the attack the largest cryptocurrency theft on record and one of the biggest financial crimes in history. Analysts warned Sunday that it is unlikely to be the last. "We're dealing with sophisticated adversaries who may have substantial resources, years of patience and objectives that extend well beyond financial gain," said Michael O'Loughlin, managing partner of Argonautic Global and board member of Blockchain Ireland. Proceeds from cryptocurrency theft have become an increasingly important source of funding for cash-strapped North Korea, alongside an estimated $22 billion in foreign income generated since 2022 through its support for Russia's war in Ukraine. The stolen funds could help finance its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as efforts to modern

Nov 1, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
[COVER STORY] North Korea has every incentive to keep stealing crypto, analysts say
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