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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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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

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Economy

Seoul's public housing tenants draw backlash for refusing to move out after 20-year leases

“We were promised 20 years of housing. We trusted the government and never made other plans in the meantime,” reads a statement issued in May by residents of a long-term public rental housing complex in Gangil-dong, eastern Seoul. Tenants of another complex in Seoul’s Songpa District echoed the sentiment, urging the city to reverse what they called “an unfair policy” and address “growing insecurity over our housing future.” “Our request is a legitimate exercise of our rights, both morally and legally,” they wrote in a statement in July. These residents are among the first participants in Seoul’s long-term lease housing program, launched in 2007 by the Seoul Housing & Urban Development Corporation. Designed for households without homes, the scheme offers apartments in exchange for a lump-sum deposit, typically around 80 percent of prevailing “jeonse” prices but often far less. In return, tenants can stay for up to 20 years, but the houses are not up for sale for occupants and are instead recycled to new eligible households. As the first wave of 20-year leases appro

Aug 3, 2026By Park Han-sol
Seoul's public housing tenants draw backlash for refusing to move out after 20-year leases
Economy

Medical tourism drives foreign card spending in Korea

Medical tourism has emerged as the fastest-growing category of foreign visitor spending in Korea during the first half of the year, as overseas travelers increasingly combined health care with leisure activities, according to data released by BC Card on Monday. Based on transaction data from approximately 3.3 million foreign-issued payment cards, BC Card found that spending on medical services rose 98 percent from a year earlier, the fastest growth among all spending categories. Other sectors also posted solid growth, including accommodation (50.2 percent), health and beauty stores (50.5 percent) and apparel (56.3 percent). Medical tourism remained heavily concentrated in Seoul, which accounted for 92.8 percent of all medical spending by foreign visitors nationwide. The data also pointed to a shift in treatment preferences, with demand expanding beyond the plastic surgery traditionally sought by overseas visitors to include dermatology, pharmacy purchases and traditional Korean medicine. "A new medical tourism ecosystem is taking shape, linking health care services with shopping and other

Aug 3, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
Medical tourism drives foreign card spending in Korea
Economy

KOSPI slides 5% after record surge, while funds rotate to Kosdaq

Korea's stock indexes moved sharply in opposite directions Monday, with the KOSPI tumbling more than 5 percent while the tech-heavy Kosdaq triggered a buy-side trading curb after a sharp intraday rebound. The benchmark KOSPI closed at 6,257.45, down 5.12 percent from the previous session, when it surged nearly 18 percent for its biggest gain on record. The index opened 3.6 percent lower, slipped below the 6,500 mark and extended losses throughout the session. Foreign and institutional investors sold a net 2.84 trillion won ($1.98 billion) and 1.95 trillion won of shares, respectively. Retail investors bought a net 4.65 trillion won. SK hynix fell 8.79 percent to close at 1,567,000 won, while Samsung Electronics dropped 8.76 percent to 239,500 won. The shares had gained 29 percent and 30 percent, respectively, in the previous session before coming under profit-taking pressure. Kosdaq rose 2.44 percent to close at 737.35. The index opened 1.36 percent lower before reversing course around 9:30 a.m. A buy-side sidecar was triggered at 10:28 a.m., though the index pared some gains before the

Aug 3, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
KOSPI slides 5% after record surge, while funds rotate to Kosdaq
Economy

Stock market turmoil spills into political dispute

The political fallout from recent stock market turmoil deepened Monday, as presidential chief of staff for policy Kim Yong-beom faced a criminal complaint over the rollout of single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Lee Jong-bae, a former Seoul Metropolitan Council member of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), said he filed a criminal complaint with prosecutors against Kim, accusing him of abuse of authority, coercion and obstruction of business. Lee alleged that Kim pressured financial regulators to approve the leveraged ETFs, arguing that the government encouraged excessive speculation in the stock market. "Had it not been for Kim's push, financial regulators would not have rushed to introduce single-stock leveraged ETFs ahead of the local elections despite the significant risks they posed," Lee said. The complaint came as opposition parties stepped up pressure on the Lee Jae Myung administration over the controversial products tied to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. Unlike conventional leveraged ETFs that track broad market indexes such as KOSPI 200 or S&P 500,

Aug 3, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
Stock market turmoil spills into political dispute
Economy

Online shopping sales up 10% in June on mobile devices, automobiles

Online shopping sales in South Korea increased around 10 percent from a year earlier in June, led by stronger demand for mobile devices and automobiles, data showed Monday. The value of online shopping transactions came to 24.6 trillion won ($17 billion) in June, up 2.3 trillion won from a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The report showed sales of mobile devices more than doubling to 892.4 billion won, apparently on the back of promotional events by Samsung Electronics. Spending on automobiles and related products also shot up 56.8 percent to 1.19 trillion won, on the back of strong sales of Tesla EVs. Spending on food products, including agricultural and fishery goods, rose 11 percent to 4.6 trillion won, while spending on cosmetic products increased 9.9 percent to 1.26 trillion won. Sales of food delivery services climbed 4.7 percent from a year earlier to 3.61 trillion won, the data showed. Purchases made through smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices rose 9.8 percent from a year earlier to 18.9 trillion won. They accounted for 76.9 perce

Aug 3, 2026By Yonhap
Online shopping sales up 10% in June on mobile devices, automobiles
Economy

Psychiatrist compares stock crash to physical trauma

Dr. Park Jong-seok, a psychiatrist treating financial distress, said novice retail investors are experiencing the recent KOSPI plunge as a shock comparable to being stabbed or surviving an earthquake. Park said Wednesday evening in a telephone interview with CBS Radio's "Park Jae-hong's Hanpan Seungbu" that the number of patients seeking help for trading-related distress more than doubled compared to the previous week. He added that the average financial losses reported by patients more than tripled. The remarks come as fear grips the markets, with the Korea Exchange triggering marketwide circuit breakers — temporary trading halts — for both the KOSPI and Kosdaq on consecutive days, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Wednesday, the KOSPI dropped to the 5,200 level during intraday trading before closing down 360.42 points, or 5.98 percent, at 5,663.24. The psychiatrist said novice investors who entered the market during a rally can experience even greater fear. "Because they have never experienced a market crash, these investors haven't built up any immunity to it," he said "They tend to suffe

Aug 3, 2026By Hankookilbo
Psychiatrist compares stock crash to physical trauma
Economy

Number of 1st-time exporters up nearly 4% in 2025: data

The number of first-time exporters, defined as businesses with no export records in the previous three years, rose nearly 4 percent in 2025 from a year earlier, data showed Monday. The total number of such businesses came to 19,746 in 2025, up from 19,041 a year earlier, according to the Korea Customs Service. It marked the largest on-year increase in the past five years, adding fresh vitality to the country's exports, the agency said. The companies' combined exports rose 13.2 percent from a year earlier to $6.9 billion, marking the highest level since 2019. By product category, machinery and computers accounted for 10.9 percent of first-time exporters, followed by electrical products at 8.5 percent and cosmetics at 7 percent. The average export value per company came to $350,000, with exports remaining below $100,000 for 80 percent of the first-time exporters.

Aug 3, 2026By Yonhap
Number of 1st-time exporters up nearly 4% in 2025: data
Economy

Seoul stocks sharply lower late Monday morning on profit taking

Seoul stocks were trading sharply lower late Monday mornings as investors sold off tech heavyweights to lock in profits following a record surge the previous session. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 216.06 points, or 3.28 percent, to 6,379.39 as of 11:20 a.m. After opening sharply lower, the index extended losses as foreign and institutional investors went profit taking following a nearly 18 percent rise the previous session. Market top-cap Samsung Electronics tumbled 6.29 percent, and its industry rival SK hynix shed 6.29 percent. Battery maker LG Energy Solutions dipped 2.44 percent, bio firm Samsung Biologics declined 2.69 percent, and portal operator Naver inched down 0.48 percent. The Korean won was trading at 1,427.4 won against the U.S. dollar, up 8.1 won from the close of stock trading on Friday.

Aug 3, 2026By Yonhap
Seoul stocks sharply lower late Monday morning on profit taking
Economy

Improved dollar supply fuels won's strongest monthly gain since 2009

The Korean won posted its strongest monthly gain against the U.S. dollar last month since March 2009, fueling optimism that the currency could strengthen below 1,400 won per dollar. This marks a sharp reversal from just weeks earlier when markets were bracing for the currency to weaken toward the 1,600 won-per-dollar level. Analysts said Sunday that the rebound was fueled by an improving dollar supply, as SK hynix converted part of the proceeds from its American depositary receipt (ADR) Nasdaq offering into won, while exporters stepped up dollar sales. In the Seoul foreign exchange market, the won ended onshore trading at 1,424.0 per dollar on Friday, the last trading day of July. The currency strengthened by 125.4 won against the dollar in July, an improvement from its June 30 close of 1,549.4 won, gaining 8.81 percent against the dollar. This marks its strongest monthly performance since March 2009, when the won strengthened by 150.5 won against the dollar during heightened volatility from the global financial crisis. The won weakened to as low as 1,559.2 per dollar on July 1, briefly

Aug 2, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
Improved dollar supply fuels won's strongest monthly gain since 2009
Cryptocurrency

Rising stablecoin outflows raise investor protection, FX concerns

Stablecoin outflows from Korea to overseas exchanges topped 500 billion won ($346 million) in June, even as the crypto market underwent a correction, an opposition lawmaker said Sunday. The amount reached a level comparable to Korean investors’ net purchases of overseas stocks. The persistent flow of funds abroad to access high-risk derivatives, real-world assets (RWA) and decentralized finance (DeFi) services unavailable in Korea is raising new concerns over investor protection and foreign-exchange management. According to data provided by the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) to Rep. Lee Jong-wook of the main opposition People Power Party, stablecoins worth 2.76 trillion won were transferred from the five domestic crypto exchanges — Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit and Gopax — to overseas exchanges in June. That compared with 2.2 trillion won in stablecoins transferred from overseas exchanges to domestic platforms, resulting in a net outflow of 560.3 billion won. That was equivalent to 77.6 percent of Korean investors’ net purchases of overseas stocks in that month, according

Aug 2, 2026By Jun Ji-hye
Rising stablecoin outflows raise investor protection, FX concerns
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