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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

BOK raises 2026 growth outlook to 1.8% as exports show strength

The Bank of Korea (BOK) on Thursday nudged its 2025 economic growth forecast for the country upward to 1 percent from 0.9 percent, and raised its 2026 projection to 1.8 percent from 1.6 percent, citing resilient exports and a gradual recovery in domestic demand. The improved growth outlook underpinned the central bank's decision to hold its benchmark rate at 2.5 percent in its final policy meeting of the year. Concerns over currency instability and housing market imbalances also persisted. The rate has remained on hold since May, marking the fourth consecutive pause. The interest rate gap with the U.S. now stands at 1.5 percentage points at the upper bound of the Federal Reserve’s policy rate. "Following the conclusion of Korea-U.S. trade negotiations and a robust global semiconductor cycle, growth in exports and facility investment is likely to exceed earlier expectations," BOK Gov. Rhee Chang-yong told reporters. "Expansionary fiscal policy and improving economic sentiment are also expected to accelerate the pace of recovery." The central bank now sees this year's current account sur

Nov 27, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
BOK raises 2026 growth outlook to 1.8% as exports show strength
Economy

Korea's older adults work longest hours among OECD members

Kim Eun-hui, 57, took voluntary retirement earlier this year after her company offered an early exit package. Now, she's searching for part-time work close to home. "If I had declined that offer, they would have fired me anyway," she said to The Korea Times. "I tried to find another stable job, but given my age, it wasn't easy." Kim estimates she'll need to work for at least five more years — until her two sons graduate from college and find jobs. When asked how confident she felt about that timeline, she hesitated. "I didn’t realize how harsh the employment reality is," she said. "I now understand why so many people, even those without experience, end up starting their own small businesses." Her story reflects a broader trend in Korea, which has the highest rate of older adult employment among developed nations. In 2023, 37.3 percent of Koreans aged 65 and older were still working — well above the OECD average of 13.6 percent and even surpassing Japan's 25.3 percent, despite its earlier transition into a super-aged society. The average older adult wants to keep working until age 73

Nov 26, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
Korea's older adults work longest hours among OECD members
Economy

KOSPI's next rally hinges on tangible governance reform

Few years have been as remarkable for the KOSPI as 2025. The index began the year at 2,398.94, grappling with the political fallout from a failed martial law declaration, and has since surged by about 60 percent — making it the best-performing benchmark among G20 markets this year. Driving the rally is an unprecedented artificial intelligence (AI) boom, benefiting Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, two of KOSPI’s largest market-cap constituents. Also playing a significant role is the government’s push to improve corporate governance — which, according to APG Asset Management, had remained stuck in a framework dating back to the 1997 Asian financial crisis until as recently as May. The government’s campaign began under former President Yoon Suk Yeol in 2024 with the so-called "Corporate Value-Up Program." But real momentum has emerged under the administration of Lee Jae Myung, who took office in June following Yoon’s impeachment. Under the slogan "KOSPI 5,000," Lee pledged to redirect capital from real estate into equities, aiming to make investing more accessible and rewarding

Nov 26, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
KOSPI's next rally hinges on tangible governance reform
Cryptocurrency

How blockchain could let fans own piece of favorite K-pop songs

Intellectual property (IP) has become one of the most powerful economic engines of the digital age — especially in entertainment, where content can fuel entire industries. Korea's global success in exporting K-pop, webtoons and dramas offers a vivid example. Yet despite an estimated $60 trillion in value, the global IP market remains largely illiquid and opaque. Most transactions occur behind closed doors, brokered through private contracts or corporate licensing deals. This lack of transparency has left the market underleveraged, industry officials say. A report from the Korea Institute of Intellectual Property found that securitizing and making domestic music copyrights tradable could create a market worth up to 22 trillion won ($14.9 billion). That’s nearly 10 times the value of Korea's music industry exports in 2024, which totaled around 2 trillion won. One blockchain startup is betting it can change that. Aria Protocol, established this January, is building a tokenized IP platform that allows such rights to be fractionalized, traded and monetized on blockchain. The company's found

Nov 25, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
How blockchain could let fans own piece of favorite K-pop songs
Banking & Finance

Eximbank hosts forum to advance inter-Korean climate cooperation

The Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) said Sunday that it co-hosted the 2025 Korean Peninsula Climate and Environment Cooperation Forum with the Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment at the Korea Press Center in Seoul on Friday. The forum focused on developing concrete policies for mutually beneficial inter-Korean exchange. Participants explored pathways to revive cross-border cooperation through joint responses to climate change. The event builds on the Korean government's five-year governance plan, unveiled in August, which outlines a vision for a peaceful, coexisting and prosperous peninsula. The forum served as an early step toward realizing that vision. During the first session, professor Koo Kab-woo of the University of North Korean Studies moderated a lively discussion on peaceful co-existence on the Korean Peninsula. Speakers included Sogang University professor Chung Young-chul, Institute for National Security Strategy researcher Kim Il-gi, UNESCAP associate economic affairs officer Kim Sung-eun and Um Ju-hyun, secretary-general of Med

Nov 23, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
Eximbank hosts forum to advance inter-Korean climate cooperation
Economy

How TeraView becomes first UK firm to list on Kosdaq

TeraView Holdings is set to become the first U.K. company to list on Korea's secondary Kosdaq market, a move that could pave the way for the entry of more foreign tech firms, industry officials said Friday. The Cambridge-based company has priced its shares at 8,000 won ($5.44), following a book-building process held from Nov. 13-19. A total of 1,811 institutional investors participated, resulting in a highly competitive subscription rate of 646 to 1. The initial public offering (IPO) has been valued at 40 billion won. The company set to debut on Dec. 9, after retail investor subscriptions from Friday to Monday. TeraView, which pioneered the commercialization of terahertz ultra-precision inspection equipment, is positioning itself as a next-generation alternative to electron-beam technologies. Terahertz waves vibrate at a trillion cycles per second and are gaining traction in advanced semiconductor applications. Company CEO Donald Arnone told reporters Wednesday that the firm chose Korea due to the concentration of its key clients in the region. About 60 percent of its revenue currently c

Nov 21, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
How TeraView becomes first UK firm to list on Kosdaq
Banking & Finance

SC Bank Korea debuts private banking center for ultrarich in Seoul

Standard Chartered (SC) Bank Korea said Thursday that it has opened a new private banking center in Apgujeong-dong, an affluent neighborhood in southern Seoul. The facility will provide international wealth management services to high-net-worth individuals with deposits of at least 1 billion won ($680,000). Named the Apgujeong Priority Private Centre, the facility is built on SC's global private banking model, which has seen success in major financial hubs. This marks the bank's 16th such center globally — following locations in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the UAE, India and mainland China — and the first of its kind in Korea. The bank said the launch aligns with its long-term commitment to driving sustainable growth in Korea, which it considers one of its key retail markets. SC plans to roll out additional centers in phases across cities with high concentrations of affluent clients, including Busan and the greater Seoul metropolitan area. Korean golf legend Pak Se-ri became the center's inaugural client and attended the opening ceremony. She was joined by SC Bank Korea CEO Lee Kw

Nov 20, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
SC Bank Korea debuts private banking center for ultrarich in Seoul
Banking & Finance

Korea's private equity industry strained by political pressure, public criticism

Korea's private equity industry is coming under heightened scrutiny amid growing public and political backlash, with firms increasingly cast as corporate raiders following a series of high-profile incidents, industry officials said Thursday. MBK Partners, one of Asia's largest private equity firms, has come under fire this year for the financial collapse of retail chain Homeplus, which filed for court receivership. Critics say MBK worsened Homeplus' financial troubles by selling off profitable stores and real estate to repay debts and recoup investments. Its decision to sell short-term debts just before filing for court receivership was also criticized for distressing investors. Another notable controversy involves Bang Si-hyuk, the founder of HYBE, who is under police investigation. Ahead of the company's initial public offering in 2020, Bang reportedly signed secret profit-sharing agreements with private equity funds, generating sizable profits. The backlash has been particularly fierce, shaped by years of accumulated distrust rooted in Korea's history with foreign private equity firms

Nov 20, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
Korea's private equity industry strained by political pressure, public criticism
Economy

Korean travel stocks rally as China imposes Japan travel ban

Korean travel stocks extended gains for a third straight session on Wednesday, as China's travel advisory against Japan fueled expectations of increased tourism to Korea, analysts said. Yellow Balloon Tour closed at 6,340 won ($4.33), rising 5.32 percent from the previous session. Other domestic travel agencies also gained, with Very Good Tour up 10.11 percent, Mode Tour climbing 1.53 percent and Hana Tour advancing 2.58 percent. Other beneficiaries included low-cost carriers. Air Busan surged as much as 22 percent in early trading before paring gains on profit-taking, finishing 4.36 percent higher at 1,770 won. Jeju Air and Jin Air also rose 4.33 percent and 2.74 percent, respectively. Hotel and casino shares rallied as well. Hotel Shilla gained 0.54 percent, Seobu T&D added 3.99 percent and Paradise climbed 0.56 percent. The rally in travel stocks came even as the broader market declined. The benchmark KOSPI fell 0.61 percent, closing at 3,929.51, with sentiment turning risk-off ahead of Nvidia's earnings report and the release of the U.S. Federal Reserve's minutes early Thursday. Analy

Nov 19, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
Korean travel stocks rally as China imposes Japan travel ban
Companies

Import-reliant food industry sweats under strong dollar

Cost pressures are mounting across Korea's import-heavy food sector as the won continues to weaken against the dollar and domestic demand remains sluggish, industry officials said Wednesday. With the government pushing back against price hikes, manufacturers are squeezed between eroding margins and limited room to maneuver — whether by raising prices or shrinking product sizes. Most Korean food companies hedge against currency swings by stockpiling several months' worth of raw materials. But that buffer has eroded after a prolonged period of dollar strength, fueled by escalating geopolitical tensions and U.S. trade tariffs. The won has weakened from the low-1,400s in early September to around 1,460 per dollar as of Wednesday. Export-oriented firms can cushion currency losses by converting overseas earnings into won, but domestically focused companies are bearing the full brunt of rising import costs. Only 31.9 percent of raw materials used by Korean food manufacturers in 2023 were domestically sourced, according to a February report from the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp., leav

Nov 19, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
Import-reliant food industry sweats under strong dollar
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