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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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Banking & Finance

Hana Bank opens Global Wealth Management Center in Seoul

Hana Bank said Friday that it has opened the Global Wealth Management Center in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, aiming to help clients navigate international markets and build global portfolios. The first of its kind in Korea, the center aims to provide asset management services covering both domestic and international markets, in line with the accelerating trend of global asset reallocation. The center is staffed by top-tier professionals, including trust consultants, lawyers, accountants, tax advisors and analysts, who will offer comprehensive consulting on living trusts, real estate, stock markets and alternative investments. Advisory services will also be provided on international taxation, the global real estate market and changing residency to other country. In particular, for clients who have emigrated overseas, Hana Bank provides customized, locally based wealth management consulting by directly connecting them with local Hana Bank branches and partner institutions for services such as investment immigration and business succession. For returnee clients who have come back to Korea

Oct 24, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
Hana Bank opens Global Wealth Management Center in Seoul
Economy

Who will lead Korea's state pension fund?

The state-led National Pension Service (NPS) has begun its search for a new CEO, as former chief Kim Tae-hyun's term ended in August, industry officials said Thursday. With the nation still divided over pension reform debates, the next appointee is expected to bring both policy insight and fund management expertise to the role. The NPS issued a public notice Wednesday to recruit its next CEO, accepting applications until Nov. 5. The three-year position oversees the fund's full operations, including the management of over 1,300 trillion won ($903 billion) in assets, subscriber services, contribution collection and pension payments. The NPS outlined key qualifications for the role — demonstrated leadership and strategic vision as a chief executive, comprehensive expertise in national pension and social welfare issues, strong organizational and management capabilities and a high standard of ethics. A selection committee will shortlist three to five candidates through an open recruitment process and recommend them to the minister of health and welfare. The ministry, which oversees the NPS,

Oct 24, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
Who will lead Korea's state pension fund?
Economy

BOK maintains rate for 3rd straight meeting amid rising Seoul home prices

The Bank of Korea (BOK) held its key interest rate steady at 2.5 percent on Thursday, in what was a widely expected move driven by rising house prices and volatility in the won-dollar exchange rate. This marks the third consecutive time that the rate has remained frozen since July, even after the central bank signaled a shift toward rate cuts. The BOK said it has decided to further monitor financial stability, particularly the impact of recent government measures on Seoul's overheated real estate market and rising household debt. Of the six members on the Monetary Policy Board, only Shin Sung-hwan dissented, calling for a rate cut. He cited the persistent negative output gap — the difference between actual and potential GDP — as a key risk to growth. Despite new government interventions — including a mortgage cap of 600 million ($416,724) won introduced on June 27 and a sweeping designation of all Seoul districts as speculative zones on Oct. 15 — house prices in the capital have remained elevated. Apartment prices in Seoul rose 0.54 percent in the second week of October, nearly do

Oct 23, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
BOK maintains rate for 3rd straight meeting amid rising Seoul home prices
Economy

Trade expert named founding chair of Seoul Investment Promotion Agency

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday that it has appointed Lee Ji-hyung, former executive vice president of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) who has 34 years of experience in trade, as the first chairman of the Seoul Investment Promotion Agency. Also known as "Invest Seoul," the agency is the first of its kind among local governments in Korea, dedicated to attracting and facilitating investment. Its establishment has been underway since last year and it is scheduled to officially launch at the end of this month. Lee was selected through an open recruitment process and recommended by a committee. His term of office is two years, starting Tuesday. Lee graduated from Korea University with a degree in English language and literature and earned a master's degree in technology management from Stony Brook University. During his tenure at KOTRA, Lee was recognized as one of the country's leading trade experts, with extensive experience in global investment promotion and a broad international network. He held key positions with KOTRA, including head of its Silicon Vall

Oct 22, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
Trade expert named founding chair of Seoul Investment Promotion Agency
Cryptocurrency

Dunamu to attend APEC CEO Summit Korea 2025 as official partner

Dunamu, operator of Korea's largest cryptocurrency exchange Upbit, will join the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit Korea 2025 as an official partner, the company said Monday. Representing Korea's blockchain industry, Dunamu will showcase the future of finance driven by digital assets and further strengthen its global network through active engagement with world business leaders. The APEC CEO Summit Korea, hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), will be a major side event of APEC, and set to be held from Oct. 28 to 31 in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The event is expected to serve as the largest business gathering in the Asia-Pacific region, bringing together leaders from 21 APEC member economies and over 1,700 CEOs. High-profile attendees include Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman and Citi CEO Jane Fraser. Korean participants include SK Group and KCCI Chairman Chey Tae-won, Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun. Oh Kyoung-suk, CEO of Dunamu, is set to

Oct 20, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
Dunamu to attend APEC CEO Summit Korea 2025 as official partner
Banking & Finance

Brokerages expand global alliances as Koreans invest more in US stocks

Korean securities firms are ramping up partnerships and expanding operations in the United States, driven by a surge in overseas retail investment and intensifying competition, industry officials said Sunday. Hana Securities will host a seminar on Oct. 27 featuring two analysts from Los Angeles-based brokerage Wedbush to discuss market trends and artificial intelligence. The event follows Hana's strategic tie-up with Wedbush last year, when it acquired a 2.2 percent stake in the U.S. brokerage. Hana now uses Wedbush as its local broker and offers clients access to its research. Kakao Pay Securities is also in talks with New York-based Siebert Financial to collaborate on U.S. stock brokerage, AI-driven trading and digital asset infrastructure. Its parent company, Kakao Pay, has acquired a 19.9 percent stake in Siebert and holds a board seat. Korean demand for U.S. stocks continues to rise. As of Thursday, domestic investors held $160 billion in overseas equities, with about 90 percent allocated to U.S. markets, according to the Korea Securities Depository. "With overseas stock holdings hit

Oct 20, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
Brokerages expand global alliances as Koreans invest more in US stocks
Economy

Semiconductor rally turns into debt-fueled leverage boom

Speculative investments fueled by Korea's semiconductor boom are on the rise as more retail investors take on debt or trade heavily in leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs), industry officials said Sunday. One striking example came during Friday's session, when the "SK Hynix Daily 2x Leveraged Product," which solely tracks the Korean chipmaker, surged 17.64 percent on the Hong Kong stock market. The jump was unusually large, given that SK hynix shares rose just 4 percent in the Korean market that day. Investor enthusiasm was also evident on Thursday, the ETF's debut, when it soared 17.73 percent. The underlying stock, however, rose 7.1 percent in the domestic market. A similar trend has been observed in the "Samsung Electronics Daily 2x Leveraged Product." It has surged more than 195 percent since its launch in May — about 2.6 times the gain of the underlying Samsung Electronics shares over the same period. CSOP Asset Management, the Hong Kong-based issuer of both products, said a significant portion of the inflows likely came from Korea, although it did not disclose specific figures.

Oct 19, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
Semiconductor rally turns into debt-fueled leverage boom
Economy

Why KEPCO has become foreign investor favorite

Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) has become the top non-semiconductor pick among foreign investors, driven by optimism over a rebound in earnings and a push into global nuclear markets, analysts said Thursday. Foreign investors net purchased 1.2 trillion won ($846.4 million) in KEPCO shares between Jan. 2 and Oct. 10, making it the third most purchased stock in that period, according to the Korea Exchange. Only Samsung Electronics and SK hynix drew more, with net purchases of 6.5 trillion won and 2.6 trillion won, respectively. Despite its smaller scale, the utility has seen steady inflows amid signs of a turnaround. KEPCO's market cap is just 4-8 percent of both chip giants' and about half that of Hanwha Aerospace, which ranked fourth in terms of net purchase. Shares closed at 40,200 won, up 2.16 percent on Thursday. Foreign ownership now stands at roughly 22 percent, up six percentage points year-to-date. "The return of foreign investors in 2025 reflects renewed confidence in KEPCO's earnings reliability," said Moon Kyeong-won, an analyst at Meritz Securities. "Consecutive tariff incr

Oct 16, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
Why KEPCO has become foreign investor favorite
Economy

Global investment banks turn bullish on Korean stocks

Global investment banks are turning bullish on Korea’s stock market, citing momentum from an AI-led boom and ongoing corporate governance reforms, industry officials said Wednesday. That same day, the benchmark KOSPI hit an intraday high of 3,659.91 and closed at 3,657.28 — both record highs — as easing U.S.–China tensions and growing expectations of a U.S. Federal Reserve rate cut boosted investor sentiment. Foreign and institutional investors drove the rally, net buying stocks worth 129.6 billion won ($91.3 million) and 799 billion won, respectively, while retail investors sold off 981.2 billion won. Further gains are seen as likely. Morgan Stanley raised its KOSPI target to 3,800 from 3,250 in a report Monday, and said the index could reach 4,200 if tech stocks maintain their rally and broader industry recovery continues. The report cautioned that global trade tensions may trigger short-term volatility, but added that structural growth drivers including supercycles in AI, power generation, defense and K-culture are boosting the index's long-term potential. It particularly reco

Oct 15, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
Global investment banks turn bullish on Korean stocks
Banking & Finance

Kbank surpasses 15 mil. customers, reaching 1 in 3 Koreans

Kbank said Wednesday that its customer base has surpassed 15 million, reaching 1 in 3 Koreans. This marks a major milestone achieved just a year and a half after the bank first exceeded 10 million customers in March 2024. Founded in April 2017, the internet-only bank reached 1 million customers by April 2019, 5 million by May 2021 and 10 million by March 2024. Its total assets also expanded significantly, rising from 21.4 trillion won ($15 billion) at the end of 2023 to over 33.4 trillion won by the end of the third quarter this year. Kbank's recent customer growth has been driven largely by small business owners and self-employed clients. Their numbers surpassed 2 million last month, doubling from around 1 million at the end of 2023. Their proportion among the bank's total customer base also rose from 9 percent to 14 percent. Kbank said its products featuring low interest rates and quick loan processing have been the main drivers. As a result, mid- to low-credit borrowers now make up 58 percent of Kbank's individual business loan customers. Going forward, Kbank plans to sustain growth th

Oct 15, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
Kbank surpasses 15 mil. customers, reaching 1 in 3 Koreans
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