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  • Economy

    Seoul stocks, won hammered by massive foreign selling

    Seoul stocks plunged Friday as a prolonged foreign sell-off collided with a sharp downturn in global semiconductor shares, sending the benchmark KOSPI down more than 5 percent to below the 8,200 level. The sustained foreign investor exodus also continued to weigh on the Korean won. In Seoul’s onshore foreign exchange market, the won closed at 1,539.1 per dollar, down 9.4 won from the previous session. During intraday trading, it briefly approached the 1,550 level, its weakest since March 2009, during the global financial crisis. The won has now traded above the 1,500 per dollar threshold for 14 consecutive sessions. KOSPI opened at 8,323.20, down 3.66 percent from the previous session, according to the Korea Exchange. Heavy selling pressure persisted throughout the day, prompting the year’s 10th sidecar shortly after the opening bell — a market safeguard that temporarily suspends program trading during periods of extreme volatility. The index ultimately closed at 8,160.59, down 5.54 percent. Foreign and institutional investors drove the decline, selling a net 3.52 trillion won and

    2 MIN READBy Park Han-sol
    Seoul stocks, won hammered by massive foreign selling
  • Economy

    Korea diversifying LNG imports to ease Middle East dependence: KOGAS chief

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Korea diversifying LNG imports to ease Middle East dependence: KOGAS chief
  • Economy

    Korea's currency tumbles to 17-year low on foreign stock selloff

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Korea's currency tumbles to 17-year low on foreign stock selloff
  • Economy

    Gov't vows to lower barriers for foreign investors with 24-hour FX market

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Gov't vows to lower barriers for foreign investors with 24-hour FX market
  • Economy

    KRX issues sell-side sidecar for KOSPI on sharp fall

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    KRX issues sell-side sidecar for KOSPI on sharp fall
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Economy

BOK to step up monitoring of prices amid high living costs

The central bank said Wednesday it will closely monitor consumer inflation given high living costs, though it projects inflation to gradually trend down near 2 percent. Bank of Korea (BOK) Deputy Gov. Kim Woong made the remarks during a meeting to review inflation trends after government data showed consumer prices rose 2.3 percent on-year in December, remaining above the bank's 2 percent target for the fourth consecutive month. "Consumer prices in December rose at a slower pace than the previous month's 2.4 percent, as gains in agricultural, livestock and fisheries prices eased despite continued increases in oil prices driven by the weak won," Kim said. "But everyday living costs remain elevated in the upper 2 percent range, and so we will continue to closely monitor prices, paying attention to the impact of the won-dollar exchange rate and seasonal factors," he added. The BOK expected consumer inflation to gradually ease toward around 2 percent as core inflation remains stable at about 2 percent and falling global oil prices help curb inflationary pressures. For the whole of 2025, the g

Dec 31, 2025By Yonhap
BOK to step up monitoring of prices amid high living costs
Economy

English disclosure requirement for listed firms to expand, yellow envelope law to take effect in 2026

A greater number of Korean companies will be required to provide regulatory filings in English starting next year, offering enhanced transparency and wider market access to foreign investors, while the recently legislated "yellow envelope" pro-labor law will take effect, expanding labor-related liabilities of companies, officials noted Wednesday. According to the Financial Services Commission, the scope of firms subject to mandatory English regulatory disclosures will be widened from companies listed on the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) with assets of 10 trillion won ($6.94 billion) or more to those with assets of a minimum of 2 trillion won. The new disclosure requirement will take effect May 1. The move is aimed at improving transparency and accessibility for overseas investors amid efforts to enhance the competitiveness of the local capital market, according to officials. Another major change is the enactment of the yellow envelope law, scheduled to take effect in March. The revision to the Labor Union Act is primarily designed to guarantee the bargaining rights of indirect

Dec 31, 2025By Yonhap
English disclosure requirement for listed firms to expand, yellow envelope law to take effect in 2026
Policy

Gov't to expand heating bill support for vulnerable people

The government announced a set of measures Wednesday to help vulnerable people cope with a spike in heating and energy bills amid the winter cold. The measures were unveiled during an economy-related ministers' meeting presided over by Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol amid growing public concern over rising heating costs, according to the finance ministry. Vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, national merit recipients and basic livelihood security beneficiaries, will receive discounts on electricity bills of up to 16,000 won ($11.10) per month and reductions in city gas bills of up to 148,000 won per month through March, the ministry said. In addition, about 200,000 energy voucher recipient households that use kerosene or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) will receive an extra 147,000 won on average, raising total support to 514,000 won per household. The government will also provide coal briquette vouchers worth 472,000 won per household to those using briquette boilers while supporting the replacement of outdated heating facilities for 3,000 households. Korea, which depends

Dec 31, 2025By Yonhap
Gov't to expand heating bill support for vulnerable people
Economy

Korea's consumer prices up 2.1% in 2025, lowest in 5 years

Korea's inflationary pressure eased to the lowest level in five years in 2025, following the sharpest price growth in decades during the post-pandemic period, government data showed Wednesday. Consumer prices, a key gauge of inflation, increased 2.1 percent on-year this year, slightly above the Bank of Korea's inflation target of 2 percent, according to the data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The figure marks the lowest annual level since 0.5 percent in 2020. Inflation surged from 2.5 percent in 2021 to 5.1 percent in 2022 before moderating to 3.6 percent in 2023 and 2.3 percent in 2024, the data showed. Petroleum product prices rose 2.4 percent on-year in 2025, returning to an upward trend for the first time in three years since 2022, when prices jumped 22.2 percent. "Overall, international oil prices have fallen compared with a year ago, but rising exchange rates and a reduction in fuel tax cuts appear to have pushed up gasoline and diesel prices," said Lee Doo-won, a ministry official. The Korean won has been among the world's weakest-performing currencies over the past year.

Dec 31, 2025By Yonhap
Korea's consumer prices up 2.1% in 2025, lowest in 5 years
Policy

Korean stock market finishes 2025 on high note

The benchmark KOSPI made a stunning turnaround to close 2025 as the highest-gaining index among major economies, surpassing the 3,000- and 4,000-point milestones after posting its largest increase in 26 years. The index ended the year at 4,214.17 points on Tuesday, down 0.15 percent from the previous session, securing a 75.62 percent gain from the end of 2024. In 2024, it fell 9.63 percent to close at 2,399.49 points. The 75.62 percent gain was the highest among leading global markets, with little chance of being outpaced. As of Monday, Israel’s TA-125 had gained 52.49 percent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index had risen by 27.79 percent. Japan’s Nikkei 225 had grown by 26.65 percent, and the Nasdaq and S&P 500 from the United States had climbed 22.18 percent and 14.49 percent, respectively. In its own history, KOSPI’s 2025 increase ranks as the third-largest, following the 93 percent surge in 1987 — driven by the so-called “three lows” in oil prices, interest rates and the currency exchange rate — and the 83 percent rise in 1999 during the dot-com bubble. Secondary bourse

Dec 30, 2025By Yi Whan-woo
Korean stock market finishes 2025 on high note
Policy

Gov't to announce road map for Seoul's inclusion in global index MSCI early next year

The government will unveil a comprehensive road map early next year aimed at ensuring Korea's inclusion in the developed market index of global index provider Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI), a ranking finance ministry official said Tuesday. First Vice Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il made the remarks while presiding over a government-wide task force meeting focused on the inclusion, as well as plans to improve foreign investors' access to the country's equity and currency markets. Officials from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Bank of Korea, the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service attended the meeting. The government is seeking to boost foreign investment through measures such as inclusion in the MSCI developed market index as part of a broader push to revitalize the stock market and usher in what it calls the "KOSPI 5,000 era," referring to the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI). Earlier this year, MSCI kept Korea in its emerging market group, citing the limited convertibility of the Korean won in offshore currency mar

Dec 30, 2025By Yonhap
Gov't to announce road map for Seoul's inclusion in global index MSCI early next year
Policy

Life insurance payouts, post office banking to expand under 2026 financial reforms

Starting in 2026, policyholders will be able to receive death benefits from whole life insurance policies in the form of monthly annuity payments during their lifetime to support retirement, while residents in areas without bank branches will be able to access banking services through post offices, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) said Tuesday. The measures are part of a package of financial system changes set to take effect at the start of the year. The country’s top financial regulator said its policy will focus on four priorities — channeling funds toward productive sectors; enhancing fairness and transparency in capital markets; reducing financial burdens on households while strengthening consumer protection; and expanding financial services that support everyday life. Under the new guidance, all 19 life insurers will introduce products beginning Jan. 2 that allow policyholders to unlock part of their death benefit from whole life insurance policies. Through the death benefit liquidity program, customers can receive a portion of the payout in advance, either as an annuit

Dec 30, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Life insurance payouts, post office banking to expand under 2026 financial reforms
Economy

Korea's money supply growth below long-term average since 2023: BOK

Korea's money supply growth has remained below its long-term average since January 2023, the central bank said Tuesday, unveiling a new framework for measuring liquidity. After years of preparations, the Bank of Korea (BOK) announced an overhaul of its monetary and liquidity statistics that excludes equity funds, bond funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other beneficiary securities from broad money, known as M2. Instead, the BOK included such highly volatile beneficiary securities in financial institution liquidity (Lf). M2 in Korea traditionally measured cash, demand deposits and other liquid financial instruments. Under the new standard, M2 stood at 4,056.8 trillion won ($2.82 trillion) in October, compared with 4,466.3 trillion won under the previous standard, according to the BOK. Accordingly, the on-year growth rate of M2 slowed to 5.2 percent from 8.7 percent under the old standard. "The newly calculated M2 growth rate has remained below the long-term average of 7.5 percent since January 2023," BOK official Kim Min-soo said. The revamp comes amid criticism that the central bank'

Dec 30, 2025By Yonhap
Korea's money supply growth below long-term average since 2023: BOK
Economy

Gov’t to increase fines for price fixing to $7 mil.

Businesses caught colluding to fix prices and charges will face fines of up to 10 billion won ($6.97 million), more than double the current 4 billion won, under the government’s tightened rules against unfair business practices announced Tuesday. Under the new rules, fines of up to 5 billion won, 10 times the current level, will also be imposed on contractors that abuse their superior bargaining position to interfere in subcontractor operations. The rules were set during a policy meeting between the government and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, Tuesday, in the second round of plans to reform economic criminal penalties and make them fairer and more effective. The new measures follow a first round held in September, and were designed to address President Lee Jae Myung’s concerns that wealthy and powerful businesses face little pressure from current fines for breaching fair trade practices. During briefings from ministries and other government organizations earlier this month, Lee said these companies should face penalties so severe as to make it feel as if they could go bankrup

Dec 30, 2025By Yi Whan-woo
Gov’t to increase fines for price fixing to $7 mil.
Economy

Gov't to issue $1.39 bil. in Treasury bonds for retail investors in 2026

The finance ministry said Tuesday it will issue 2 trillion won ($1.39 billion) in government bonds for individual investors next year. The planned issuance is about 800 billion won higher than this year's total of 1.2 trillion won, according to the Ministry of Finance and Economy. The ministry said it will start issuing new three-year bonds for retail investors in April amid rising demand for short-term bonds. The move is aimed at reducing the holding burden for investors and diversifying investment options, ministry officials said. The added interest rate on the new bond will not exceed the rates offered by similar instruments, the ministry said.

Dec 30, 2025By Yonhap
Gov't to issue $1.39 bil. in Treasury bonds for retail investors in 2026
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