my timesThe Korea Times
yanu

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.

Go to EmailGo to URL

Read more

Banking & Finance

Global X debuts ETF targeting key MLCC manufacturers

Global X, the New York-based provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), announced Tuesday the launch of a new fund that seeks to invest in the manufacturers of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) and related components. A key building block of many modern electronic devices, MLCCs are used in artificial intelligence (AI) servers, electric vehicles, smartphones and other items. Roughly 85 percent of the global MLCC industry is controlled by five manufacturers based in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. The Global X MLCC & Electronic Components ETF provides exposure to all of these companies, which can be difficult for U.S. investors to access directly. Its portfolio includes Murata Manufacturing, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Yageo Corp., TDK Corp. and many others. "The manufacturers of these components sit at a genuine chokepoint in the AI supply chain and could be difficult to access directly through U.S.-listed shares," said Pedro Palandrani, head of product research & development at Global X. Global X has long been known for thematic ETFs, including innovations such as its AI and technology ETF,

Sep 15, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
Global X debuts ETF targeting key MLCC manufacturers
Economy

KOSPI falls below 6,700 on AI growth, oil, rate concerns

The KOSPI fell below 6,700 Monday as concerns over a possible slowdown in AI development triggered heavy foreign selling, with high oil prices and elevated interest rates adding to investor unease. The benchmark index closed at 6,684.37, down 3.26 percent from the previous session. It opened 3.14 percent lower and fell as much as 3.69 percent to 6,654.82 in mid-morning trading but slightly closed the gap. Foreign and institutional investors sold a net 3.29 trillion won ($2.4 billion) and 1.17 trillion won worth of shares, respectively, while retail investors bought a net 2.97 trillion won. SK hynix fell 6.35 percent to close at 1,697,000 won, while Samsung Electronics lost 4.05 percent to finish at 249,000 won. Debate over slowing the pace of AI development weighed on investor sentiment toward semiconductor stocks. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei proposed slowing the development of cutting-edge AI models to allow more time to put stronger safeguards in place, a proposal that drew support from Sam Altman and Elon Musk. Investors are concerned that a slowdown in the AI development race could als

Sep 14, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
KOSPI falls below 6,700 on AI growth, oil, rate concerns
Business

Deep tech rises in Korea's venture market, while global ties remain weak

Korea's venture market is shifting toward deep-tech industries including artificial intelligence (AI) chips and robotics, but weak ties with global investors remain a drag on the country's startup ecosystem, a senior industry official said Monday. Lim Jung-wook, executive director of Startup Alliance Korea and a former deputy minister of SMEs and startups, made the remarks at SCG Investment's Global GP-LP Day in Seoul, which brought together seven U.S. general partners with about $14 billion in combined assets under management (AUM). "Korea has chip design, foundries, materials, equipment and customers all within one country," Lim said. "There are not many countries in the world that can do this." The startup sector is recovering from the downturn that followed the pandemic-era funding boom. Venture capital investment reached $6.6 billion in the first half of 2026, up 54 percent from a year earlier. Nine of the 10 standout deals this year involved companies in tech sectors, including Furiosa AI, Rebellions, Upstage and Exina. Despite Korea's strengths in technology and manufacturing, its

Sep 14, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
Deep tech rises in Korea's venture market, while global ties remain weak
Banking & Finance

Who is Lee Jae-keun?

Lee Jae-keun, who was named KB Financial Group's next chairman on Friday, is a KB veteran who has held senior roles spanning finance, strategy, global operations and wealth management for more than three decades. Lee, born in 1966, graduated from Sogang University with a degree in mathematics before studying financial engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. In 1993, he joined Housing & Commercial Bank, a predecessor of KB Kookmin Bank, and has spent more than three decades at KB. Lee served as head of financial planning and chief financial officer (CFO) at the holding company, where he played a leading role in the acquisitions of LIG Insurance, Hyundai Securities and Woori Financial, a consumer lending company formerly owned by Woori Financial Group, helping diversify the group's non-bank portfolio. He then moved to the banking unit, serving as CFO and head of sales before being named the industry's youngest bank chief in 2022. During his three-year tenure, Lee helped reshape the bank's earnings structure and laid the groundwork for record net income in 202

Sep 11, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
Who is Lee Jae-keun?
Banking & Finance

KB Financial cans incumbent chairman to tap deputy as new leader

KB Financial Group selected Vice Chairman Lee Jae-keun as its next chairman for a three-year term, surprising a market that had widely expected incumbent Chairman Yang Jong-hee to secure another term. Lee was selected over Yang and former Woori Bank CEO Kwon Kwang-seok. His appointment is due to be finalized at a shareholders meeting on Nov. 20, when Yang's current term expires. "The group selected Lee to lead a bold transformation and generational shift as it seeks to strengthen its core competitiveness and secure new growth engines beyond its current strong performance," the group's chairman recommendation committee said in a statement. At Friday's meeting, the committee conducted two-hour in-depth interviews with each of the three shortlisted candidates. They were assessed on five criteria: professional experience and expertise, leadership, morality, alignment with the group's vision and values, and commitment to sound management over the short and long term. The committee then held a final vote. The leadership change comes as financial authorities pursue governance reforms aimed at c

Sep 11, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
KB Financial cans incumbent chairman to tap deputy as new leader
Economy

Nuveen sees growing institutional opportunity in Korea's rental housing

Global asset manager Nuveen sees Korea's housing market becoming increasingly accessible to institutional capital as the country's traditional lump-sum deposit system gradually gives way to monthly rents. "It's becoming more of an institutional market ... more akin to what you see in the U.S., with monthly rental payments," Chad Phillips, global head of Nuveen Real Estate, said at a press conference at Conrad Seoul on Friday. "We've recently invested in a residential asset here in Seoul, which will open early next year." In May, Nuveen acquired a property near Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station in Seoul for about 22.5 billion won ($16.72 million). In partnership with Korean startup Weave Living, the property is being converted into a 62-unit serviced apartment, scheduled to open in January. The investment marks Nuveen's first move into Korea's residential sector. Nuveen first entered Korea's real estate market in 2019 through a logistics investment in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, and later expanded into logistics facilities in Uiwang and Ilsan. The asset manager remains positive

Sep 11, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
Nuveen sees growing institutional opportunity in Korea's rental housing
Cryptocurrency

Korea is more than retail crypto market: BitGo CEO

Global crypto companies often underestimate Korea by viewing it primarily as a retail trading market, but that perception overlooks the country’s sophisticated financial institutions, advanced technology infrastructure and growing demand for regulated digital asset services, BitGo CEO Mike Belshe said. These factors could make Korea an important market for institutional crypto adoption, he said. "The biggest issue is not whether there is interest," Belshe told The Korea Times in a written interview. "It is whether Korean institutions have the infrastructure and regulatory certainty to participate comfortably." On Aug. 20, BitGo Korea, the Korean arm of the U.S.-based global digital asset infrastructure company, completed its registration as a virtual asset service provider with the Financial Intelligence Unit under the Financial Services Commission, the country’s top financial regulator, becoming the first foreign crypto company to enter the Korean market through direct registration. Rather than entering the market by acquiring an already licensed local operator, BitGo established it

Sep 11, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
Korea is more than retail crypto market: BitGo CEO
Economy

KOSPI falls as oil prices jump, but retains 7,000

The KOSPI edged lower Thursday amid a surge in international oil prices triggered by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, but managed to close above the 7,000 mark. The benchmark index closed at 7,033.92, down 0.25 percent from the previous session. The index opened 0.18 percent lower and rose as high as 7,072.79 before falling to 6,898.45. It then fluctuated around the 7,000 level as institutional selling pressure eased. Foreign investors sold a net 2.48 trillion won ($1.85 billion) worth of shares, while retail and institutional investors bought a net 380 billion won and 433.5 billion won, respectively. SK hynix fell 0.16 percent to close at 1.853 million won, while Samsung Electronics lost 0.19 percent to finish at 269,000 won. The secondary Kosdaq, meanwhile, rose 0.79 percent to close at 836.92. Despite strength in U.S. semiconductor shares after Meta unveiled its agentic AI, Muse, external risks continued to weigh on the stock market. With little prospect of negotiations between Iran and the U.S. resuming in the near term, international oil prices continued to rise. West Texas I

Sep 10, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
KOSPI falls as oil prices jump, but retains 7,000
Banking & Finance

Korea Investment & Securities expands global ties with Fidelity, PIMCO, Carlyle

Korea Investment & Securities (KIS) has entered into a series of strategic partnerships earlier this week with global asset managers Fidelity, PIMCO and Carlyle, expanding cooperation across research, equities, fixed income and alternative investments, the company said Thursday. On Monday in London, KIS signed a strategic partnership agreement with Fidelity, a global asset manager overseeing roughly $7.8 trillion in assets. Under the agreement, KIS will provide Korean investors with exclusive access to Fidelity's research capabilities while exploring joint product development and co-investment opportunities. The partnership's first joint product, a Korea-China-U.S. technology fund, is under development. On Wednesday in New York, KIS signed separate agreements with PIMCO and Carlyle. PIMCO is a global fixed income specialist managing approximately $2.33 trillion in assets. The firms plan to expand cooperation in discretionary asset management, with KIS providing PIMCO's research and fund products to Korean customers. They will also cooperate on customized products using PIMCO's asset manag

Sep 10, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
Korea Investment & Securities expands global ties with Fidelity, PIMCO, Carlyle
Economy

Korea Exchange to extend trading until 8 pm

The Korea Exchange (KRX) will launch an after-market trading session on Sept. 14, allowing investors to trade stocks in real time until 8 p.m. after the regular market close. The move is aimed at expanding trading opportunities for domestic investors and responding to moves by major U.S. exchanges to extend trading hours, the bourse operator said Wednesday. Under the current system, which will be abolished, after-hours trades are executed at 10-minute intervals using a single price auction mechanism between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. The market will shift to continuous trading between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., as in the regular session, with trades executed in real time whenever buy and sell orders match. In consideration of potential market volatility, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and exchange-traded notes (ETNs) will initially be excluded from trading. The KRX plans to review whether to allow trading in ETFs and ETNs after assessing market stability and liquidity. Only limit orders will be allowed, while market orders will not be accepted. The same daily price limits as during the regular session —

Sep 9, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
Korea Exchange to extend trading until 8 pm
previous page
12345
next page

Top 5 stories

Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.