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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?
  • Policy

    Budget ministry pledges support for Coast Guard's patrol cutter program

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Budget ministry pledges support for Coast Guard's patrol cutter program
  • Policy

    BOK launches pilot program for 24-hour offshore won settlement

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    BOK launches pilot program for 24-hour offshore won settlement
  • 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
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Economy

Korean won surges against US dollar on foreign buying in local stocks

The Korean won sharply strengthened against the U.S. dollar Friday, buoyed by net purchases by foreign investors in local stocks after hitting a nine-month high on suspected market-smoothing operations. The won was quoted at 1,424 won per dollar at 3:30 p.m., up 13.4 won from the day before. The won was traded at 1,418 won per dollar as of around 6 a.m., marking the strongest level since Oct. 20 last year. Overnight, the won had advanced to as high as 1,419 won per dollar, with traders speculating that authorities conducted market-smoothing operations. Foreigners bought a net 7 trillion won ($4.9 billion) worth of local stocks during the latest trading session, with the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index skyrocketing 17.91 percent to close at 6,595.45. The won's appreciation was in line with a gain in the Japanese currency. At one point in overnight New York trading, the yen rose to about 158 per dollar, hitting the strongest level in more than two years. Moon Ji-sung, deputy finance minister for international affairs, told Yonhap News Agency that Korea and Japan have maintained cl

Jul 31, 2026By Yonhap
Korean won surges against US dollar on foreign buying in local stocks
Economy

KRX activates buy-side sidecar for KOSPI on sharp rise

Korea's bourse operator on Friday activated a buy-side sidecar for the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) as the stock index rose sharply, fueled by tech gains. Program trading for the KOSPI-listed shares was suspended for five minutes at 9:06 a.m. soon after the market opened, according to the Korea Exchange (KRX). After opening 1.15 percent higher, the KOSPI surged 11.05 percent as of 9:07 a.m. A buy-side sidecar is triggered when the KOSPI 200 Futures index rises 5 percent or more for at least one minute.

Jul 31, 2026By Yonhap
KRX activates buy-side sidecar for KOSPI on sharp rise
Economy

Seoul shares up nearly 13% late Friday morning on tech boost

Korean stocks traded nearly 13 percent higher late Friday morning as investors scooped up semiconductor shares following Microsoft's strong earnings. After opening 1.15 percent higher, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) expanded its gains, adding 717.3 points, or 12.82 percent, to trade at 6,310.86 as of 11:20 a.m. The surge followed a three-session heavy sell-off due mainly to concerns over artificial intelligence (AI) spending. The KOSPI fell nearly 40 percent this month alone. Overnight, Wall Street closed higher as Microsoft's stronger-than-expected earnings report eased fears about massive spending on AI infrastructure. The S&P 500 climbed 1.66 percent and the Nasdaq gained 2.78 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.19 percent. The PHLX chip index, a gauge of U.S. semiconductor giants, surged 8.2 percent. In Seoul, market bellwether Samsung Electronics shot up 18.24 percent, and SK hynix skyrocketed 21.86 percent. Top carmaker Hyundai Motor jumped 6.98 percent, and internet firm Naver gained 5.03 percent. Leading shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Indust

Jul 31, 2026By Yonhap
Seoul shares up nearly 13% late Friday morning on tech boost
Economy

Industrial output posts sharpest growth in 6 years in June on cars, chips

Korea's industrial output rebounded in June from a month earlier, snapping two months of decline led by the automobile and semiconductor industries, data showed Friday, with retail sales and facility investment also gaining ground. Industrial production added 2.3 percent last month from May, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. It marked the sharpest growth since a 2.9 percent rise posted in June 2020. It was also the first time since March for the three economic indicators to rise simultaneously. Output in the mining and manufacturing sector, a key pillar of the economy, shot up 6.4 percent on the back of the automobile and chip industries. In detail, output from the automobile and semiconductor sectors rose 15.4 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively. The output in the crucial chip industry had shed 10 percent on-month in May. The ministry attributed the strong gains in the two sectors to hybrid cars and memory chips, respectively. "Supply disruptions of auto parts caused by a fire at an engine component company in March have been ironed out. Rising demand at home a

Jul 31, 2026By Yonhap
Industrial output posts sharpest growth in 6 years in June on cars, chips
Economy

Foreigner sell-offs of Korean stocks hit new record high in June

Foreign investors offloaded a record amount of South Korean stocks in June amid profit-taking, data showed Friday. Offshore investors offloaded a net 49.34 trillion won ($33.8 billion) worth of local stocks last month, extending their selling binge to a sixth month, according to the data from the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). Following their net selling in June, offshore investors owned 2,908.6 trillion won worth of local stocks, or 36.4 percent of total market capitalization. By country, investors from the United Kingdom were the top sellers in May, offloading a net 32.22 trillion won worth of shares, followed by those from the United States with a net sell-off of 23.2 trillion won, the latest findings showed. In the local bond market, foreign investors bought a net 13.9 trillion won worth of local debt last month. Their holdings of Korean bonds stood at 334.8 trillion won as of end-June, accounting for 11.8 percent of listed bonds here, the FSS data showed.

Jul 31, 2026By Yonhap
Foreigner sell-offs of Korean stocks hit new record high in June
Policy

Measures to cool leveraged ETF market to come 'as early as possible': financial regulator

Korea's financial regulator said Thursday it plans to carry out additional measures to cool the single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) "as early as possible." The announcement by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) came after an emergency market inspection meeting it held with other related agencies Wednesday night, following concerns the investment product has amplified wild market swings and triggered sharp sell-offs and retail losses. The FSC plans to prepare legal grounds to activate market stabilization measures by revising the Capital Markets Act with the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). The FSC added it will also have brokerages set limits on the maximum amount of investment into single-stock leveraged ETFs, in order to prevent investors from taking excessive risks by investing a majority of their assets into such ETFs. Earlier, financial authorities decided to hike the minimum cash deposit for single-stock leveraged ETF investments, which is set to go into effect on Friday. South Korea's benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index has shown extreme volatility

Jul 30, 2026By Yonhap
Measures to cool leveraged ETF market to come 'as early as possible': financial regulator
Economy

Korean won advances as Fed holds rate steady

The Korean won strengthened to a fresh five-month high against the U.S. dollar Thursday, after the U.S. Federal Reserve held its benchmark interest rate steady. The won was quoted at 1,437.4 won per dollar at 3:30 p.m., up 9.3 won from the day before, marking the strongest level since Feb. 26. The won gained after the Federal Reserve left the rate unchanged at the 3.5-3.75 percent range, marking the fifth consecutive pause. However, three Fed policymakers dissented and called for a hike, raising speculation that a rate hike can occur down the road. The won's strength was also supported by foreign investors' net purchase of local stocks. Foreigners bought a net 1.3 trillion won ($900 million) worth of local stocks during the latest trading session, while the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 1.23 percent to close at 5,593.56.

Jul 30, 2026By Yonhap
Korean won advances as Fed holds rate steady
Economy

Leveraged ETF fiasco weighs on Lee administration's economic team

When President Lee Jae Myung took office in June 2025, he promised to lift Korea's benchmark index to 5,000. Within a year, the KOSPI reached that target and kept surging to peak at 9,000, powered by a semiconductor boom and expectations of corporate governance reform. Barely a year into his presidency, the rally is unraveling. KOSPI has fallen back to around 5,000, this time amid an even more troubling development: extreme volatility. At the center of the volatility are single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tied to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. The issue is weighing heavily on the Lee administration's financial team, and calls are growing for the resignations of top policymakers, as investors largely regard their countermeasures as makeshift and far from a fundamental solution. Introduced on May 27, the funds were intended in part to draw Korean retail investors away from leveraged products listed in Hong Kong and to ease pressure on the won-dollar exchange rate. However, the products have magnified gains and losses in some of the country's most heavily traded shares,

Jul 30, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
Leveraged ETF fiasco weighs on Lee administration's economic team
Economy

Borrowers turn to insurance loans as mortgage lending tightens

A dental lab assistant surnamed Choi in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, has turned to insurance policy loans several times whenever she needed a little extra cash to cover unexpected expenses. “Taking out a regular loan affects my credit score directly. But with an insurance policy loan, I’m borrowing against premiums I’ve already paid, so it doesn’t drag down my credit rating,” she said. “The interest rate is also lower than what you would get from other nonbank lenders. So when I need a small amount of money quickly, this feels like the most reasonable option I have.” Choi said she stayed away from borrowing money to invest in stocks during this year’s record-breaking market rally. But she has definitely seen people around her use insurance policy loans to bet on the stock market. Similar conversations have surfaced on Blind, a popular anonymous workplace community app in Korea. “I got the money quickly from an existing insurance policy, and my interest rate is only 3.6 percent. I’ll make some gains and pay it back soon,” read one post shared in the app’s stock inv

Jul 30, 2026By Park Han-sol
Borrowers turn to insurance loans as mortgage lending tightens
Economy

Korea's sidecar system faces test as triggers hit record high

Once a rarely used emergency brake, the sidecar mechanism has become a recurring feature of Korea's stock market amid bouts of extreme volatility. Its growing use has raised questions about its effectiveness, as stocks have often continued to plunge until circuit breakers were triggered, industry officials said Thursday. According to the Korea Exchange, sidecars have been triggered 43 times in the benchmark KOSPI this year, far surpassing the 26 activations recorded during the 2008 global financial crisis. They have also been triggered 29 times on the secondary Kosdaq, bringing the total number of sidecar activations in Korea’s stock markets this year to 72. Introduced in 1996, the sidecar is designed to prevent sharp price swings in the futures market from spilling over into the spot market through program trading. On KOSPI, a sidecar is triggered when KOSPI 200 futures move by at least 5 percent and remain at or beyond that threshold for one minute. On Kosdaq, it is activated when Kosdaq 150 futures move by at least 6 percent and the spot index moves by at least 3 percent in the same

Jul 30, 2026By Lee Yeon-woo
Korea's sidecar system faces test as triggers hit record high
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