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  • Economy

    Which Korean stocks offer highest dividend yields this year?

    High-dividend stocks are drawing renewed attention as Korea enters the year-end payout season with the KOSPI confined to a narrow range, analysts said Sunday. According to financial data provider FnGuide, Korea District Heating Corp. is expected to offer the highest dividend yield this year among listed companies covered by at least three brokerages. The company is projected to pay 6,520 won ($4.69) per share this year, up 363 won from 6,157 won a year earlier, translating into an estimated dividend yield of 8.69 percent. Dividend yield is calculated by dividing the dividend per share by the share price. AJ Networks, a rental service group, ranked next, with an estimated dividend of 343 won per share and a dividend yield of 8.33 percent. Brokerage stocks also featured prominently, buoyed by a strong first-half market rally and a sharp improvement in earnings. NH Investment & Securities is expected to pay a dividend of 2,031 won per share, up 731 won from a year earlier, giving a dividend yield of 7.99 percent. Samsung Securities is forecast to raise its dividend by 2,867 won to 6,867 won p

    2 MIN READBy Lee Yeon-woo
    Which Korean stocks offer highest dividend yields this year?
  • Economy

    Korea's trade reliance up in 2024: BOK data

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Korea's trade reliance up in 2024: BOK data
  • Economy

    Seoul stocks up 1.5% late Monday morning as chipmakers advance

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Seoul stocks up 1.5% late Monday morning as chipmakers advance
  • Economy

    Exports up 78% in first 20 days of Sept. on robust chip shipments

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Exports up 78% in first 20 days of Sept. on robust chip shipments
  • Economy

    Korean bond rates most sensitive to changing US yields in emerging Asian markets

    2 MIN READBy Park Han-sol
    Korean bond rates most sensitive to changing US yields in emerging Asian markets
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Economy

Youth loan defaults raise questions about Korea's policy lending model

“I defaulted twice on 3 million won ($2,120) Youth Sunshine Loans. The government ended up covering everything, so all my debts were settled with no problem,” read a post shared in July on an online forum for recipients of basic livelihood assistance. As stories like this are becoming more common in Korea, questions are being raised whether government-backed lending for young people is addressing the root cause of financial hardship or merely delaying it. While the programs are intended to help young borrowers bridge temporary cash shortages, experts warn that the worsening employment and income conditions are leaving more young adults unable to repay their debts. One of the clearest signs is the Youth Sunshine Loan, a state-backed program that provides living expenses to job seekers, entry-level workers and young entrepreneurs aged 19 to 34 with annual incomes below 35 million won. According to the Korea Inclusive Finance Agency, the share of these loans that had to be repaid by the state-run guarantee agency after borrowers failed to make payments rose from 4.8 percent in 2022 to

Aug 7, 2026By Park Han-sol
Youth loan defaults raise questions about Korea's policy lending model
Economy

Financial regulator chief faces criminal complaint as leveraged ETF backlash widens

Financial Services Commission Chairman (FSC) Lee Eog-weon became the latest senior government official, Thursday, to face a criminal complaint over the rollout of single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tied to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, as criticism continues to grow over the high-risk products’ impact on recent market volatility. Rep. Lee Jong-bae, a former Seoul Metropolitan Council member from the main opposition People Power Party, said he had filed the complaint with prosecutors, accusing the FSC chief of dereliction of duty and abuse of authority. Lee alleged that the regulator approved the high-risk products without conducting sufficient due diligence, including stress tests designed to assess how they would perform under extreme market conditions. “There is a possibility that Chairman Lee instructed FSC officials not to carry out stress tests. Had thorough testing been conducted, it might have revealed serious risks that would make it difficult to introduce the products before the local elections,” he said. Single-stock leveraged ETFs, which allow invest

Aug 6, 2026By Park Han-sol
Financial regulator chief faces criminal complaint as leveraged ETF backlash widens
Others

KOSPI tumbles 4.6% as chip stocks falter

The KOSPI plunged more than 4 percent Thursday, giving up gains from the previous two sessions as weakness in major semiconductor stocks weighed on the market. The tech-heavy Kosdaq swung between gains and losses before closing up 0.26 percent, extending its winning streak to five sessions. The KOSPI opened at 6,478.75, down by 119.51 points, or 1.81 percent, and extended its losses to close at 6,296.38, down 301.88 points, or 4.58 percent. Heavy selling pressure during the session prompted the Korea Exchange to suspend program selling orders for five minutes at around 10:18 a.m. under its sidecar mechanism. The benchmark index had climbed 3.76 percent the previous day for its second straight advance before reversing course Thursday. U.S. stocks provided mixed signals overnight. Nvidia, the leading AI chipmaker, gained 3.44 percent after SpaceX said it would use Nvidia chips exclusively for its data center infrastructure. AMD, on the other hand, dropped 7.04 percent after its outlook was viewed as weaker than expected. Alphabet also declined 4.06 percent after reports that Jeff Dean, a sen

Aug 6, 2026By Jun Ji-hye
KOSPI tumbles 4.6% as chip stocks falter
Economy

No retirement? Why more Koreans work into their 70s

Park, a 62-year-old nurse at a long-term care hospital in Seoul, is in no hurry to retire. After raising her children, she returned to the workforce in her 50s, putting a nursing license she had obtained years earlier to use. Nearly a decade later, she still has no plans to retire. "I'll start receiving my pension in a few years, but it won't be enough to support the kind of retirement I'd like, so I'd rather keep working," she said. "Besides, work keeps me active. Staying at home all day isn't for me, and I enjoy meeting people. I'd like to keep working for as long as I'm physically able." Park is one of a growing number of older Koreans who want to remain in the workforce beyond what was once considered a retirement age. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, Thursday, the number of employed people aged 55 to 79 reached 10.13 million in May, surpassing 10 million for the first time since the annual survey began in 2005. The figure rose by 345,000 from a year earlier and has increased by about 50 percent over the past decade, from 6.72 million in 2016. The employment rate for th

Aug 6, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
No retirement? Why more Koreans work into their 70s
Others

Tax breaks fail to lure Korean investors back to local stocks

The government failed to lure Korean retail investors in U.S. stocks back to the local market even after introducing reshoring investment accounts (RIAs) in March, financial investment industry watchers said Thursday. They said growing volatility in the domestic stock market has left retail investors increasingly fatigued, while interest in U.S. stocks has picked up again. Tax benefits alone are unlikely to reverse retail investors’ preference for U.S. stocks, as they tend to prioritize returns over tax savings, they added. The RIA scheme was introduced to help stabilize the Korean won and shore up the local stock market. Under the program, investors can transfer overseas shares acquired by Dec. 23 last year to an RIA account at a Korean brokerage, sell them and invest the proceeds in local stocks or domestic equity funds for a year to qualify for a capital gains tax break. The tax deduction was set at 80 percent for overseas shares settled by the end of July and falls to 50 percent for sales settled from August through December. The full 100 percent deduction expired at the end of Ma

Aug 6, 2026By Jun Ji-hye
Tax breaks fail to lure Korean investors back to local stocks
Policy

15 gov't bond dealers face sanctions over alleged bid rigging

The antitrust watchdog has moved to sanction 15 primary dealers in the government bond market over alleged bid-rigging and illegal information-sharing in Treasury auctions, a case that could result in fines of over 15 trillion won ($10.5 billion) if the charges are upheld. The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) on Thursday said that its investigation bureau had submitted an examiner's report to the commission and served it on the 15 firms, alleging that they colluded in Treasury bond auctions between January 2020 and June 2023. The report does not represent the commission's final decision, which will be determined after deliberations by the full commission. The 15 companies are Kyobo Securities, Daishin Securities, Meritz Securities, Mirae Asset Securities, Samsung Securities, Shinhan Securities, NH Investment & Securities, KB Securities, Korea Investment & Securities and Kiwoom Securities, as well as KB Kookmin Bank, NH Bank, Industrial Bank of Korea, KEB Hana Bank and Korea Development Bank. The alleged collusion involved agreements on bidding yields and the exchange of auction-related infor

Aug 6, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee
15 gov't bond dealers face sanctions over alleged bid rigging
Economy

Finance minister voices confidence in economy, vows efforts to stabilize stock market

Korea's finance minister on Thursday expressed confidence in the country's economy, saying it is achieving "unprecedented" results on the back of solid growth and exports. "The Korean economy is more solid than ever and is achieving unprecedented results," said Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol during a meeting with economy-related ministers in Seoul. "Both real-economy indicators and macroeconomic indicators, including growth, exports, inflation, and consumer and business sentiment indexes, continue to show a steady upward trend." Last month, the government raised its 2025 growth forecast to 3 percent from its earlier projection of 2 percent, citing a semiconductor supercycle and easing uncertainties surrounding the Middle East. Latest data showed that Asia's fourth-largest economy expanded 3.8 percent in the first six months of the year from a year ago. Exports, the main driver of the economy, reached a record high of $102.2 billion in June amid solid global demand for memory chips. Regarding recent stock market volatility, Koo said the government is working to stabilize the market and make

Aug 6, 2026By Yonhap
Finance minister voices confidence in economy, vows efforts to stabilize stock market
Economy

KRX activates sell-side sidecar for KOSPI on sharp decline

Korea's bourse operator on Thursday activated a sell-side sidecar for the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) after the index fell sharply, led by tech losses. Program trading in KOSPI-listed shares was suspended for five minutes around 10:18 a.m., according to the Korea Exchange (KRX). The KOSPI fell by more than 4 percent. The decline came as foreign investors sold off artificial intelligence (AI)-related stocks, including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, after a sharp rebound in the past two consecutive sessions amid lingering concerns over massive AI spending. A sell-side sidecar is triggered when the KOSPI 200 Futures Index falls 5 percent or more for at least one minute.

Aug 6, 2026By Yonhap
KRX activates sell-side sidecar for KOSPI on sharp decline
Economy

Seoul shares extend losses late Thursday morning on tech slump

Korean stocks fell sharply late Thursday morning as investors dumped large-cap tech shares following a rise in the previous sessions. After opening 1.81 percent lower, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) extended losses, falling 298.38 points, or 4.52 percent, to 6,299.88 as of 11:20 a.m. The index had risen 1.62 percent and 3.76 percent on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, driven by eased concerns over artificial intelligence (AI) profitability. As the index suffered a sharp loss, the Korea Exchange (KRX) activated a sell-side sidecar for the KOSPI for five minutes at 10:18 a.m., halting program trading for KOSPI-listed shares. Overnight on Wall Street, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite lost 0.83 percent, its first decline in five sessions, as tech heavyweights, including Alphabet and Advanced Micro Devices, lost ground. The Dow Jones Industrial Average extended its winning streak amid news reports that Iran and Oman have agreed on a route for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. In Seoul, tech shares led the decline. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics sank 5.89 p

Aug 6, 2026By Yonhap
Seoul shares extend losses late Thursday morning on tech slump
Economy

Korea posts record-high current account surplus again in June on strong chip exports

Korea's current account surplus continued its all-time high record-breaking streak in June, driven by strong exports of semiconductors, central bank data showed Thursday. The surplus totaled $49.73 billion in June, up from the previous record of $38.61 billion in May, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). It marked the largest monthly current account surplus ever and followed up on unprecedented performance for the second consecutive month. Compared with the same month a year earlier, the figure surged from $13.97 billion. South Korea has reported a current account surplus every month since May 2023, making June the 38th consecutive month the balance has been in the black. For the first six months of the year, current account surplus totaled a cumulative $191.01 billion, marking the largest half-year surplus on record. The reading is far larger than the BOK's earlier projection of $151.5 billion for the six-month period and nearing the annual target of $250 billion. In 2025, the country posted its largest annual surplus on record at $123.05 billion, exceeding the previous high

Aug 6, 2026By Yonhap
Korea posts record-high current account surplus again in June on strong chip exports
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