South Korea's foreign exchange reserves fell slightly in September as the US dollar's strength reduced the value of non-dollar currencies when converted into the greenback, central bank data showed Thursday. As of the end of September, the country's foreign exchange reserves came to $384.67 billion, down $170 million from the previous month, the Bank of Korea said in a statement. Foreign exchan...

Indebted households and the projected pace of aging in South Korea are worrisome, raising an urgent need for the country to develop households’ financial systems and access, a report showed Wednesday. Korea had the highest household debt to gross domestic product ratio among 10 Asian countries analyzed in 2016, according to the Allianz Global Wealth Report 2017 released by the German insurance g...

South Korea's main stock index hit a record high on Wednesday, buoyed by strong buying by foreign investors, while Samsung Electronics rallied ahead of its earnings release. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 24.35 points, or 1 percent, to close at 2,458.16. Trade volume was moderate at 193 million shares worth 5.6 trillion won ($3.07 ...

An independent panel in charge of drawing up financial reform measures said Wednesday it has found possible irregularities by financial authorities in granting a license to the nation's first Internet-only bank, K-Bank. The possible irregularities are centered on Woori Bank, one of the major shareholders of K-Bank with a 10-percent stake, according to the panel. Under banking laws, Woori Bank w...

South Korea's bourse traded higher late Wednesday morning, buoyed by Samsung Electronics and foreign investors remaining net buyers of local stocks. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 14.61 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,448.42 as of 11:20 a.m. Large caps had a mixed morning of trading, with market kingpin Samsung Electronics adding 2.46 percent and global chipmaker SK hynix up ...

South Korea ranked 22nd in the per capita net financial assets among 53 major economies last year, a report said Wednesday. The average South Korean had 28,180 euros in financial assets including cash, bank deposits, stocks, insurance and pensions last year, according to a global wealth report by the German-based Allianz Group. It marks an increase of 809 euros from 27,371 euros the previous ye...

Foreigners hold about 12 percent of South Korean stocks, valued at 34 percent of the market cap, an indication that they own high-priced portfolios, data showed Wednesday. According to the Financial Supervisory Service, offshore investors held 9.158 billion stocks in the main and secondary markets as of the end of August, equal to 12.3 percent of the total. Their holdings break down as 7.129 bil...

South Korean shares opened higher Wednesday, tracking Wall Street's strong showing overnight. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 7.34 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,441.15 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Most large caps traded mixed, with market kingpin Samsung Electronics gaining 1.44 percent. Top automaker Hyundai Motor rose 0.66 percent, while top steelmaker POSCO fell 1...

South Korea‘s main bourse saw the largest foreign net purchase of its stocks in over four years Tuesday, while the market index approached the record-high in its closing, overshadowing escalating verbal war threats between North Korea and the United States. The Kospi closed at 2,433.81 Tuesday, the highest since July 27, when the index closed at 2,443.24. Kospi went up 1.64 percent from the pre...

Global investors may adjust their portfolios by exiting their capital from South Korea in case of a prolonged security risk on the Korean Peninsula, a central bank monetary board member said Tuesday. The unidentified member of the Bank of Korea monetary policy board has called for close monitoring of foreign investors as he issued the warning about a possible outflow of funds, according to the m...

South Korean stocks closed higher Tuesday as Samsung Electronics and other tech stocks advanced on expectations of healthier earnings. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index climbed 39.34 points, or 1.64 percent, to close at 2,433.81. Trade volume was moderate at 218 million shares worth 7.25 trillion won ($6.37 billion). After closing for 10 ...

South Korean shares traded sharply higher Tuesday, boosted by technology stocks as investors displayed optimism over third-quarter earnings. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 46.54 points, or 1.94 percent, to 2,441.01 as of 11:20 a.m. Top cap Samsung Electronics, scheduled to release its third-quarter earnings guidance later this week, jumped 4.45 percent, and global chipma...

South Korean shares opened sharply higher Tuesday, boosted by technology stocks as investors displayed optimism over third-quarter earnings. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 32.61 points, or 1.36 percent, to 2,427.08 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Most large caps had mixed fortunes, with market kingpin Samsung Electronics jumping 4.49 percent. Top automaker Hyundai M...

South Korea's financial market remained stable during the 10-day Chuseok holiday despite concerns surrounding North Korean provocations, state regulators said Monday. The Financial Supervisory Service said after a market review meeting that the country's credit default swaps premium stood at 69.9 basis points as of Friday, down from 73.8 bp on Sept. 29, just before the start of the holiday. CDS ...

Common stock under Samsung saw combined 111.5 trillion won gain in asset value this year while awarding 6 trillion won in increased stock wealth to members of Samsung’s owner family