Economy - The Korea Times

KOSPI falls, won weakens as US-Iran ceasefire uncertainty weighs on markets

Both KOSPI and Kosdaq moved lower Thursday, as growing uncertainty over potential ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran weighed on Korean equities. The won also weakened, with the exchange rate against the dollar once again breaching the psychologically and technically significant 1,500 level. Although U.S. stocks ended higher, catching up with reports that Washington and Tehran had entered negotiations, Korean markets appeared to place greater emphasis on news that Iran denied such talks. Korea’s benchmark KOSPI opened down 0.9 percent at 5,594, slipping below the 5,600 mark at the open. It extended losses throughout the session to close at 5,460.46, down 181.75 points, or 3.22 percent. The secondary Kosdaq index inched up 0.01 percent to 1,159 at the open, but later reversed course to end the day at 1,136.64, down 22.91 points, or 1.98 percent. In the Seoul foreign exchange market, the Korean won opened at 1,503 per dollar, down 3.5 won from the previous session’s close. It continued to weaken and finished at 1,507 won per dollar, down 7.3 won. Amid the ongoing Middle Ea

Mar 26, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

KOSPI falls, won weakens as US-Iran ceasefire uncertainty weighs on markets

KOSPI, Kosdaq climb on hopes of Iran ceasefire

Korean stocks rallied on Wednesday, with both the KOSPI and Kosdaq moving higher after reports that the United States had proposed a one-month ceasefire to Iran. The won also strengthened against the U.S. dollar, with the exchange rate opening lower than the previous session, as hopes of easing geopolitical tensions revived risk appetite and supported the local currency. According to the Korea Exchange, the benchmark KOSPI opened at 5,680.33, up 126.41 points, or 2.28 percent, and ended the session at 5,642.21, up 88.29 points, or 1.59 percent, from the previous session. The secondary Kosdaq index followed suit, opening 11.87 points higher, or 1.06 percent, at 1,133.31 and extending its gains to close at 1,159.55, up 38.11 points, or 3.40 percent from the previous session. In Seoul’s onshore foreign exchange market, the won opened at 1,493 won per dollar, up 2.2 won, before closing at 1,499.7 won per dollar, down 4.5 won from the previous session. The currency had surged to 1,495.2 won per dollar on Tuesday, recovering from a 17-year low of 1,517.3 won in the previous session after U.S.

Mar 25, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

KOSPI, Kosdaq climb on hopes of Iran ceasefire

Sidecar curbs jump as market volatility grips KOSPI

Korea’s stock market has experienced exceptional volatility this year, triggering 10 sidecar measures on the benchmark KOSPI, the second-highest annual tally on record, the Korea Exchange (KRX) and industry officials said Wednesday. The mechanism temporarily halts program trading for five minutes during sharp market swings to curb excessive volatility. In March alone, seven sidecars were activated as markets were rattled by surging global oil prices and mounting pressure from a weakening won amid the Middle East conflict. According to the KRX, the 10 sidecar activations this year comprise six sell-side and four buy-side measures. Sell-side curbs were triggered on Feb. 2 and 6, and March 3, 4, 9 and 23, while buy-side measures were imposed on Feb. 3 and March 5, 10 and 18. The secondary Kosdaq market has also faced heightened volatility, with six sidecars triggered this year — four on the buy side and two on the sell side. On the main board, a sidecar is triggered when front-month KOSPI 200 futures move more than 5 percent from the previous close and sustain the change for at least one

Mar 25, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

Sidecar curbs jump as market volatility grips KOSPI

Won strengthens, KOSPI rebounds as Trump delays Iran strike

The Korean won, which had tumbled to a 17-year low by breaching the 1,510-per-dollar level amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, rebounded to the 1,490 range on Tuesday, as market jitters eased after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would delay a potential strike on Iran for five days. The country’s benchmark index, the KOSPI, also opened sharply higher, climbing 4.25 percent at the open. Within the first 15 minutes of trading, the index advanced 196.33 points, or 3.63 percent, to 5,602.08 on optimism fueled by Trump’s remarks suggesting the possibility of negotiations. In Seoul’s onshore foreign exchange market, the won-dollar exchange rate closed at 1,495.2 won per dollar, down 22.1 won from the previous session, while the KOSPI closed at 5,553.92, up 148.17 points, or 2.74 percent. The won had stayed above the 1,500-per-dollar level for three straight sessions after closing at 1,501 on Thursday, before slipping below that level on the fourth trading day. In particular, the currency had climbed to 1,517.3 per dollar on Monday, marking its highest level since March 10, 2

Mar 24, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

Won strengthens, KOSPI rebounds as Trump delays Iran strike

Korean won tumbles to 17-year low as oil prices, dollar surge

The Korean currency tumbled to a 17-year low, sliding past 1,510 won per dollar Monday as the unresolved Middle East crisis continued to rattle global financial markets. The growing tensions also affected the stock markets, as the country’s benchmark KOSPI, which topped 6,000 points for the first time on Feb. 25, fell more than 6 percent, slipping close to 5,400 amid heavy selling pressure. In Seoul’s foreign exchange market, the exchange rate opened at 1,504.9 won per dollar, up 4.3 won from the previous session, and closed at 1,517.3 won, up 16.7 won, in onshore trading. This marks the local currency’s weakest level since March 10, 2009, during the global financial crisis, when it briefly weakened to 1,561 won per dollar. The exchange rate had ended at 1,501 and 1,500.6 last Thursday and Friday, respectively, and has since weakened further, remaining above 1,500 won per dollar. The won has come under pressure as heightened tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran have driven investors toward safe-haven assets such as the dollar, compounded by Korea’s heavy reliance

Mar 23, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

Korean won tumbles to 17-year low as oil prices, dollar surge

Korean won falls to 17-year low against dollar amid FX volatility

The Korean won weakened past the 1,500 mark against the U.S. dollar for the first time in 17 years on Thursday, as global oil prices surged overnight amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. The KOSPI also plunged as the spike in oil prices, coupled with hawkish signals from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, weighed heavily on investor sentiment. The won-dollar exchange rate opened at 1,505 per dollar, up 21.9 won from the previous session, before closing at 1,501 won in onshore trading. The close marked the won’s first finish above the 1,500 threshold in about 17 years, since March 10, 2009, at the height of the global financial crisis, when it stood at 1,511.5 won. The country’s benchmark index, meanwhile, closed at 5,763.22, down 161.81 points, or 2.73 percent, from the previous session. The index opened at 5,761.40, down 163.63 points, or 2.76 percent, and continued to slide throughout the session. Investor sentiment had already deteriorated before the market opened due to rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Oil prices surged after reports that the United States

Mar 19, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

Korean won falls to 17-year low against dollar amid FX volatility

BTS concert to boost retail stocks as fans flock to Seoul

A much-anticipated comeback concert by K-pop juggernaut BTS set for this Saturday is raising expectations of a boost to retail stocks as tourists continue to flock in, market watchers said Thursday. Yu Jung-hyun, an analyst at Daishin Securities, recommended an overweight view on the retail sector in her report, saying inbound visitor numbers are likely to hit fresh record highs as global fans travel to Korea ahead of the concert. Shinsegae Department Store was named the top pick, with a target price of 410,000 won ($273). Hyundai Department Store and Lotte Shopping are also expected to benefit, with target prices set at 145,000 won and 115,000 won, respectively. "With many overseas fans expected to visit Korea for the BTS concert, expectations are rising for a tourism-driven boost in nearby hotels and department stores," Yu said. The country is also seeing an increase in foreign visitors' spending, the analyst added. Overseas card spending in Korea reached a record 20 trillion won in 2025, accounting for about 3 percent of total retail sales. The actual share is likely higher when inclu

Mar 19, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin

BTS concert to boost retail stocks as fans flock to Seoul

Commuters turn to public transit as fuel prices soar amid Iran conflict

Lim Joo-young, an office worker in her 30s who commutes from Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, to Seoul's Seocho District, recently switched from driving to taking the subway as fuel costs climb. "I used to drive to work, so taking the subway during the rush hour has been uncomfortable," she said. "But fuel costs have become too high, so I plan to keep taking the subway for now. I used to fill up about three times a month, but I'm trying to cut that down to once or twice." Another office worker, surnamed Park, who lives in Yangcheon District in Seoul, has also began cutting back on driving. Though her workplace is just a 20-minute drive away, she now rides a bus that takes about an hour. "I've started taking the bus twice a week. I'm trying to rely less on my car overall," Park said. "I'm also cutting back on longer drives to shopping malls on the weekend to save on fuel." Data shows that more commuters are shifting to public transportation as high fuel prices, driven by the escalating conflict in the Middle East, weigh on household budgets. According to Seoul Metro on Wednesday, average daily

Mar 18, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin

Commuters turn to public transit as fuel prices soar amid Iran conflict

Korea Exchange in hot seat after botched Kosdaq status reversal

The Korea Exchange (KRX) is under fire after mistakenly removing a management-issue designation from a Kosdaq-listed firm and reinstating it just a day later, triggering sharp market volatility, market watchers said Wednesday. The controversy has intensified as the stock price swung sharply during the episode, raising concerns about potential investor losses. A management-issue designation serves as a warning mechanism applied to companies with serious financial or operational concerns, or those at risk of breaching listing requirements. Its removal, by contrast, is widely interpreted as a signal that such risks have been resolved and that the firm has returned to normal trading status. Because of this signaling effect, any change in designation can significantly move share prices. SCM Lifescience was designated as a management issue on March 21, 2025, after posting pretax losses from continuing operations for two consecutive years. The exchange’s Kosdaq market division lifted the designation at 7:02 p.m. Monday, concluding, based on the company’s 2025 audit report, that it had met th

Mar 18, 2026By Jun Ji-hye

Korea Exchange in hot seat after botched Kosdaq status reversal

Korean Air extends Dubai flight suspension until April 19 over Middle East tensions

Korean Air said Tuesday it will extend the suspension of its Incheon-Dubai flights through April 19 due to ongoing military conflict in the Middle East. Its KE951 and KE952 flights between Korea's Incheon and the United Arab Emirates' Dubai have been suspended since Feb. 28, when the airline brought back KE951 and canceled KE952 following U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran. The suspension of the Incheon-Dubai route had originally been scheduled to be lifted on March 28, but the company decided to extend the measure. The carrier said it will decide whether to resume operations after that date based on the situation. Korean Air is the only Korean carrier operating regular flights between Incheon and Dubai.

Mar 17, 2026By Yonhap

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