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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

KOSPI falls toward 6,500 as chip sentiment remains weak

The KOSPI extended its losing streak, Monday, falling toward 6,500 as sentiment surrounding the semiconductor sector weakened further amid growing risks related to a military conflict between the U.S. and Iran. The benchmark closed at 6,516.27, down 4.46 percent from the previous session. It opened 2.6 percent lower and extended its decline. A sell-side sidecar was triggered at 11:21 a.m., marking the 20th such activation on Korea's main bourse this year. Institutional investors sold a net 919 billion won ($621 million) of shares. Foreign and retail investors bought a net 515.3 billion won and 349.1 billion won, respectively. The Korean stock market reflected external headwinds that had accumulated during Friday's holiday closure and over the weekend, according to Lee Kyoung-min, an analyst at Daishin Securities. An artificial intelligence (AI) model from China's Moonshot, called Kimi K3, was assessed as delivering performance close to that of the most advanced models from OpenAI and Anthropic. The news raised questions about whether the massive capital expenditures undertaken by hypersc

Jul 20, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
KOSPI falls toward 6,500 as chip sentiment remains weak
Economy

KOSPI tumbles back below 7,000 in 'Black Thursday' rout

The KOSPI tumbled back below 7,000, Thursday, just one session after a sharp rebound, as concerns over slowing artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure investment and intensifying competition in memory chips battered semiconductor shares. The benchmark closed at 6,820.60, down 6.37 percent from the previous session. It opened 4.45 percent lower and extended its losses, falling as much as 7.6 percent to 6,730.87 intraday. A sell-side sidecar was activated at 9:10 a.m., marking the 19th such activation on the KOSPI this year. Foreign investors sold a net 1.44 trillion won ($973.9 million) of shares, while institutional investors offloaded 1.39 trillion won. Retail investors, however, bought a net 2.78 trillion won. Chipmakers led the retreat. SK hynix sank 11.53 percent to 1,842,000 won, while Samsung Electronics dropped 8.77 percent to 255,000 won. The declines followed weakness in U.S. semiconductor shares overnight. Morgan Stanley said cancellations and delays of data-center projects were becoming more widespread, citing postponement of a data-center development in Wyoming and a one-y

Jul 16, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
KOSPI tumbles back below 7,000 in 'Black Thursday' rout
Economy

Korea triples single-stock leveraged ETF deposit, requires full cash payment

Korea will triple the minimum deposit for single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to 30 million won ($20,303) from the current 10 million won as regulators seek to curb speculative trading in the products. Investors will be required to pay the full amount in cash. Previously, investors could meet up to 70 percent of the 10 million won deposit requirement with the value of stocks they already owned. The measures were announced Thursday after the country's top economic policymakers, known collectively as the F4, agreed at a meeting in Seoul to tighten oversight of single-stock leveraged ETFs tracking Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. The group comprises the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Financial Services Commission, the Financial Supervisory Service and the Bank of Korea. Regulators agreed to temporarily halt new product launches, ban advertising for existing products and raise the minimum order size to 20 units from one until market conditions stabilize. They plan to strengthen risk-disclosure requirements and investor education as well. At the same time, liquidity pro

Jul 16, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
Korea triples single-stock leveraged ETF deposit, requires full cash payment
Politics

Lee warns officials against drinking with young employees after work

President Lee Jae Myung urged public officials to exercise greater caution regarding sexual misconduct during a policy briefing on Wednesday, warning them not to sit next to young people of the opposite sex at drinking gatherings. “Drinking and having a good time is all well and good, but do not have a young person of the opposite sex seated beside you,” Lee said during a policy briefing by government ministries at the Cheong Wa Dae guesthouse. The briefing was attended by officials from the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the National Data Agency, the Financial Services Commission and the Ministry of Planning and Budget. “Most people do not behave that way, but it appears to happen occasionally,” Lee said. “A young employee of the opposite sex is not there for your amusement. Being treated that way is, in itself, something that would provoke immense outrage.” Lee said such an attitude and mindset are an affront to human dignity because they involve treating someone not as an equal human being, but as an object or a means to an end. He added that officials should pay particu

Jul 15, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
Lee warns officials against drinking with young employees after work
Economy

KOSPI closes near 7,300 as SK hynix ADR surge boosts investor sentiment

Korean stocks soared Wednesday, with KOSPI closing near 7,300 and Kosdaq reclaiming 800, as sentiment toward chipmakers rebounded and softer-than-expected U.S. inflation data boosted risk appetite. The benchmark KOSPI closed at 7,284.41, up 6.24 percent from the previous session. The index opened 3.3 percent higher at 7,082.91, before extending its advance to more than 6 percent and triggering a buy-side sidecar. Most sectors gained, supported by net buying from foreign investors. Foreign and institutional investors purchased a net 2.34 trillion won and 183.1 billion won of shares, respectively, while retail investors sold a net 2.46 trillion won. U.S. semiconductor stocks advanced overnight as bargain hunters stepped in following a recent sell-off. Sentiment toward Korean chipmakers received an additional boost after Barclays said the price of SK hynix's American depositary receipts (ADRs) could double, sending the securities up 27 percent. SK hynix rose 8.83 percent to 2,082,000 won, while Samsung Electronics gained 6.27 percent to 279,500 won. SK Square jumped 16.13 percent and Samsun

Jul 15, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
KOSPI closes near 7,300 as SK hynix ADR surge boosts investor sentiment
Economy

Foreign investment in Korean companies jumps 30% in a year

Foreign investment in listed companies here surged by about 30 percent over the past year, led largely by U.S. asset managers and investment funds. Cosmetics, semiconductors and biotechnology attracted particularly strong interest, data showed Wednesday. According to CEO Score, a corporate research firm, foreign companies and funds held stakes of at least 5 percent in 123 of Korea’s 500 largest listed companies by market capitalization as of June. The figure was up 29.5 percent from 95 a year earlier. By country, U.S.-based investors accounted for more than half of the total, with holdings in 69 companies. They were followed by European investors with holdings in 25 companies, Japanese investors with 10 and Chinese investors with eight. BlackRock held stakes in the largest number of Korean-listed companies. The world’s largest asset manager added 12 companies to its portfolio of holdings of at least 5 percent, becoming a major shareholder in 19 Korean companies. Its largest holdings included stakes of 7.41 percent in KB Financial Group, 7.22 percent in Hana Financial Group, 7.18 perc

Jul 15, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
Foreign investment in Korean companies jumps 30% in a year
Economy

KOSPI closes higher at 6,856.83 after wild swing, Kosdaq hits year low

The benchmark KOSPI staged a dramatic turnaround Tuesday, recovering from an intraday plunge of nearly 5 percent to close 0.73 percent higher as foreign and institutional investors bought battered semiconductor shares. The secondary Kosdaq, however, fell to its lowest close of the year. KOSPI ended at 6,856.83, according to the Korea Exchange. The index opened lower and briefly sank below 6,500 before bargain hunting erased its losses and pushed it back into positive territory. Retail investors sold a net 4.15 trillion won ($2.8 billion) of shares, while foreign and institutional investors purchased a net 951 billion won and 3.23 trillion won, respectively. SK hynix rose 3.69 percent to 1,913,000 won, while Samsung Electronics gained 3.34 percent to 263,000 won. "KOSPI has plunged 19.7 percent in just 14 trading sessions since the start of July, marking its steepest correction since October 2008, when it fell 23.1 percent during the global financial crisis," said Kiwoom Securities analyst Han Ji-young. "Given that even previous major crises unfolded over several months, the latest sell-off

Jul 14, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
KOSPI closes higher at 6,856.83 after wild swing, Kosdaq hits year low
Economy

SK hynix ADRs to follow Seoul-listed shares as premium narrows

SK hynix's blockbuster Wall Street debut quickly delivered a lesson in how fast market swings can travel across the Pacific. The chipmaker's Seoul-listed shares plunged 15 percent on Monday after the initial enthusiasm surrounding its U.S. listing faded and investors grew more concerned that the artificial intelligence (AI) boom may be nearing a peak. Its American depositary receipts (ADRs) then fell about 9 percent, narrowing the premium over the Korean shares. The two securities should generally move in the same direction because they represent the same company, analysts said Tuesday. Even when their prices diverge, a widening gap typically attracts arbitrageurs, eventually pulling them back toward each other. "A 15.4 percent KRX [Korea Exchange] decline against a 9 percent ADR decline in the same underlying asset is an arbitrage dislocation, not two different fundamental views," said Mo Aziz, an independent analyst at Smartkarma, an investment intelligence platform. Still, differences in market structure mean the two securities will not trade in lockstep. Part of the gap reflects the s

Jul 14, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
SK hynix ADRs to follow Seoul-listed shares as premium narrows
Economy

KOSPI tumbles below 7,000 in 'Black Monday' sell-off

KOSPI fell nearly 9 percent to below 7,000 Monday, as a rout in semiconductor shares overshadowed the blockbuster U.S. debut of SK hynix's American depositary receipts (ADRs). SK hynix and Samsung Electronics, which together account for more than 60 percent of KOSPI's market capitalization, plunged 15.37 percent and 10.7 percent, respectively, dragging the index sharply lower. KOSPI closed at 6,806.93, down 8.95 percent from the previous session, according to the Korea Exchange. The sell-off triggered the market's 35th sell-side program-trading curb and seventh circuit breaker of the year. SK hynix ended at 1,845,000 won ($1,228.74), while Samsung Electronics closed at 254,500 won. The sell-off dashed hopes that SK hynix's U.S. listing would help revive the Korean stock market, which has fallen about 27.5 percent from its record intraday high of 9,385.59 set on June 19. SK hynix's ADRs, trading under the ticker SKHY, closed at $168 on Friday, up 12.8 percent from the $149 offering price. The listing surpassed Alibaba's to become the largest U.S. fundraising by a foreign company on record.

Jul 13, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
KOSPI tumbles below 7,000 in 'Black Monday' sell-off
Cryptocurrency

Circle invites senior executives from Korean banks, crypto exchanges for closed-door event on July 23

Circle is stepping up its push into Korea with an invitation-only gathering in Seoul, industry officials said Monday, as the issuer of the USDC stablecoin seeks closer ties with banks, crypto exchanges and payments companies. The event, called Current Seoul, will be held July 23 at Josun Palace. It follows CEO Jeremy Allaire's visit to Korea about three months ago, when he met with local financial companies to explore potential partnerships. Held under the theme "Korea at a Crypto Inflection," the gathering is expected to draw senior executives from crypto exchanges, banks, payments companies and super-app operators. Discussions will focus on regulation, industry cooperation and the development of longer-term partnerships, according to the event's registration website. Circle speakers include Dante Disparte, chief strategy officer and head of global policy and operations; David Allan Katz, vice president of strategy and policy for Asia-Pacific; Ben Morris, vice president of business development; and Yam Ki Chan, head of Asia-Pacific. Kakao Pay CEO Shin Won-keun and Park Jong-baek, a par

Jul 13, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
Circle invites senior executives from Korean banks, crypto exchanges for closed-door event on July 23
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