Economy - The Korea Times

Korea to require digital shareholder meetings for 210 top companies

Korea is moving to dismantle one of the most persistent inconveniences of its corporate governance calendar, mandating electronic shareholder meetings for the country’s largest listed companies in a sweeping regulatory overhaul aimed at expanding investor participation. The Ministry of Justice said Thursday that it has proposed amendments to the enforcement decree of the Commercial Act that will require electronic general meetings of shareholders for companies with total assets of at least 2 trillion won ($1.3 billion), covering 210 listed firms as of the end of 2025. Officials said the measure is designed to address long-standing criticism that traditional shareholder meetings, often concentrated on a single annual “peak season,” have effectively excluded retail and overseas investors who cannot travel to physical venues. Under the new rules, affected companies will be required to provide systems allowing shareholders to attend and vote remotely through the internet, effectively enabling participation “anytime, anywhere,” according to the ministry. The ministry said the reform

May 28, 2026By Lee Kyung-min

Korea to require digital shareholder meetings for 210 top companies

ContributionForeign trust reporting completes offshore asset transparency puzzle

After spending four decades building a successful precious metals export business, a man sought a way to transfer his wealth to his child without incurring taxes and ultimately turned to an offshore trust. By moving his assets into a trust abroad and naming his child as the beneficiary, the man believed the structure would shield the assets from gift taxation. He assumed that because the assets were legally held under the name of the trustee rather than himself or his child, they were safely out of sight. His peace of mind, however, was short-lived. By analyzing a wide range of information and data, including foreign exchange records, the National Tax Service (NTS) uncovered that his child was the true beneficiary, ultimately hitting the family with billions of won in back taxes. The man’s attempt to hide behind the veil of an offshore trust ultimately collapsed. Moving forward, this type of tax evasion will become significantly harder. Starting this year, a new foreign trust reporting system comes into full effect. This system was introduced specifically to close loopholes in trust ar

May 28, 2026By Lee Sung-jin

Foreign trust reporting completes offshore asset transparency puzzle

Chip rally, ETF debut propel KOSPI to record close above 8,200

KOSPI extended its rally Wednesday and climbed above the 8,200 level to set another high after breaching the 8,000-point mark for the first time a day earlier. Investor sentiment was buoyed by a sharp rally in U.S. technology stocks and growing expectations surrounding the launch of single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tied to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. Samsung Electronics also received a boost after its wage agreement was approved in a labor union vote with 73.7 percent support. The deal eased concerns over short-term strike risks, reinforcing positive sentiment toward the tech giant's stock. The benchmark index opened at 8,242.12, up 194.61 points, or 2.42 percent, from the previous session, and at one point surged 5 percent to 8,450.26, marking its first-ever move above the 8,400 threshold. It later pared some gains to close at 8,228.70, up 181.19 points, or 2.25 percent, rewriting its record closing high just a day after reaching the previous milestone. The strong gains in early trading prompted the activation of a buy-side sidecar, temporarily suspending progra

May 27, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

Chip rally, ETF debut propel KOSPI to record close above 8,200

Korean investors increase bets on China's tech stocks despite broader market weakness

Korean investors have increased their exposure to China's technology and advanced manufacturing sectors during a recent pullback in mainland China stocks, suggesting continued appetite for artificial intelligence (AI) and hard-tech themes despite broader market weakness, according to market analysts on Monday. They turned net buyers of several China-focused exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and technology stocks on Thursday, when mainland Chinese markets saw a notable decline. The buying was concentrated in products tracking robotics, semiconductors power-grid equipment and electronics supply chains. The investors also accumulated ETFs tracking China's technology and innovation themes, including products tied to China's STAR Market. They bought a net $3.21 million worth of the China Asset Management Co Robot ETF during the market sell-off, according to data from SEIBro, a portal maintained by the Korea Securities Depository. That was followed by Shenzhen Fastprint Circuit Tech, a leading Chinese printed circuit board maker, with net purchases of $2.73 million, and Guangdong Fenghua Advanced

May 27, 2026By Yulu Ao

Korean investors increase bets on China's tech stocks despite broader market weakness

LEE’S 1ST YEAR IN OFFICE KOSPI heading toward 10,000: Fundamentals, policy fuel Korea’s market rally

Korean stocks have extended an unprecedented rally despite uncertainties stemming from the Middle East conflict, with the benchmark KOSPI soaring from the 2,000-point range to above 8,000 within a year of President Lee Jae Myung taking office. KOSPI’s gains this year, the strongest among major G20 economies, have been driven largely by a global semiconductor supercycle fueled by rising artificial intelligence (AI) demand, which boosted earnings at Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, alongside the government’s market value-up and stock market revitalization policies. KOSPI closed at 2,770.84 on June 4, 2025, the day Lee took office. Less than a year later, the index finished at 8,047.51 on Tuesday, surpassing the 8,000 mark on a closing basis for the first time after briefly topping the level intraday on May 15. The rally continued Wednesday, with KOSPI reaching 8,228.70, up 181.19 points, or 2.25 percent, and setting another closing high just a day after the previous milestone. Data released by business tracker CEO Score on May 13 showed that the combined market capitalization of Kore

May 27, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

[LEE’S 1ST YEAR IN OFFICE] KOSPI heading toward 10,000: Fundamentals, policy fuel Korea’s market rally

KRX provides tailored insider trading prevention training for listed firms

The Korea Exchange’s (KRX) Market Oversight Commission has offered tailored training aimed at strengthening unfair trading prevention among listed companies, the KRX said Tuesday. The program, held May 18 at its Seoul headquarters, drew about 60 executives and employees from about 40 listed firms. It was designed to bolster internal control systems and enhance corporate compliance capabilities against insider trading and other unfair market practices. Focusing on employees with greater access to sensitive corporate information, including those working in disclosure, finance, accounting and investor relations, the training offered role-specific content incorporating frequently discussed issues and notable violation cases. Participants received guidance on unfair trading regulations, representative breach cases and recent regulatory changes, including expanded sanction measures. The session also introduced the K-ITAS insider trading alert service, the exchange’s reporting and reward schemes and procedures for filing unfair trading reports and claiming rewards. “Preventing unfair trad

May 26, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

KRX provides tailored insider trading prevention training for listed firms

Korea showcases AI water treatment tech to global development banks

Inside a water treatment plant south of Seoul, Korea is making its pitch to become the world’s next hub for artificial intelligence (AI) cooperation. Officials from many international organizations visited the Korea Water Resources Corp.’s AI-powered treatment facility in Hwaseong on Thursday, where Korean officials demonstrated how AI is already managing critical public infrastructure. The visit followed Wednesday’s “Global AI Hub Vision Declaration” ceremony, where the government unveiled plans to position Korea at the center of international AI cooperation aimed at addressing climate change, public health and development challenges. More than 20 senior officials attended the site visit, including vice president-level executives from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), along with representatives from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Central American Bank for Economic Integration and United Nations agencies. At the facility, the Korea Water Resources Corp. demonstrated AI systems that a

May 26, 2026By Lee Kyung-min

Korea showcases AI water treatment tech to global development banks

Foreign investors dump $6.6 bil. in Samsung Electronics, SK hynix stocks last week

Foreign investors sold more than 10 trillion won ($6.6 billion) worth of shares in Samsung Electronics and SK hynix last week while extending their net-selling streak in the South Korean stock market to 12 trading sessions, data showed Monday. Foreigners offloaded a net 5.33 trillion won worth of SK hynix shares and 5.26 trillion won worth of Samsung Electronics shares during the week beginning May 18, according to the data from the Korea Exchange and Yonhap Infomax. Combined net sales of the two market bellwethers accounted for 73 percent of foreigners' total net selling of Korean stocks, which came to 14.45 trillion won over the cited period. The selling trend has continued over the past 12 trading sessions since May 7, when foreign investors turned net sellers. During the 12-session period, foreigners sold a net 19.53 trillion won worth of SK hynix shares and 18.87 trillion won worth of Samsung Electronics shares, accounting for 82.9 percent of their total net selling of 46.34 trillion won. Last week, Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Motor, LG Electronics and Samsung Electro-Mechanics were also

May 25, 2026By Yonhap

Foreign investors dump $6.6 bil. in Samsung Electronics, SK hynix stocks last week

KOSPI soars more than 8% on Samsung wage agreement, Nvidia earnings beat

The benchmark KOSPI staged a strong rebound Thursday, rising more than 8 percent in a single session on the back of a labor agreement at Samsung Electronics and Nvidia’s better-than-expected earnings results. The index opened at 7,486.37, up 277.42 points, or 3.85 percent, and extended gains throughout the session to close at 7,815.59, up 606.64 points, or 8.42 percent. It was the KOSPI’s strongest daily advance in 34 trading sessions since an 8.44 percent jump on April 1 and marked the index’s sixth-largest one-day gain on record. The KOSPI had briefly topped the 8,000 mark intraday on May 15 before tumbling amid heightened market volatility. After two straight sessions of losses, the benchmark index rebounded sharply. Shares of Samsung Electronics also surged 8.51 percent to close at 299,500 won ($199), helping lift overall market sentiment. The firm's management and labor unions reached a tentative wage agreement late Wednesday, preventing a planned strike at the world’s largest memory chipmaker. Positive momentum was also fueled by overnight gains on Wall Street, particularly a

May 21, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

KOSPI soars more than 8% on Samsung wage agreement, Nvidia earnings beat

Foreign investor exodus from Korean stocks accelerates amid chip sell-off

The benchmark KOSPI remained under pressure for a second straight session Wednesday as foreign investors continued pulling funds out of the Korean stock market. Persistent selling in semiconductor shares, coupled with the sharp depreciation of the Korean won and rising U.S. Treasury yields, added to concerns over weakening market liquidity and investor sentiment. The country’s benchmark index opened up 52.86 points, or 0.73 percent, at 7,324.52, but reversed course within minutes and later dropped to an intraday low of 7,053.84. Volatility persisted throughout the trading session before the index ended the day at 7,208.95, down 62.71 points, or 0.86 percent. Data from the Korea Exchange showed that foreign investors extended their selling streak in the KOSPI market to 10 consecutive trading sessions from May 7 through Wednesday. Their cumulative net selling during the period surpassed 43 trillion won ($28.5 billion), already well above the previous monthly record of 35.88 trillion won set in March. Foreign investors were seen rapidly reducing exposure to major semiconductor stocks, such

May 20, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

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