South Korea’s leading banking groups on Tuesday vowed to achieve innovation in the digital finance sector this year, seeking to vie with burgeoning financial technology rookies and internet-only banks. KB Financial Group, the nation’s top banking group by market capitalization, said that it would become the industry’s “first mover” by incorporating new digital technology and co-working with fintech startups.“We shall build a new KB-centered financial ecosystem

For South Korea, 2017 was full of upheavals, including the ouster and imprisonment of a scandal-ridden former president and the dramatic rise of a new progressive government.The real challenges, however, seem to lie ahead in 2018 as the nation faces a number of events that will test the capacity of the administration and the people.The most imminent is the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games to run from Feb. 9-25 in eastern Gangwon Province.The international sports event, which would have marked th

South Korea’s consumer prices increased at the fastest rate in five years in December, on the back of strong industrial goods and financial services, government data showed Friday.The nation’s consumer price index climbed 1.5 percent this month from a year earlier, up from the previous month’s 1.3 percent on-year gain, according to Statistics Korea. Compared to the previous month, the index moved up 0.3 percent. For the entire year, consumer prices grew 1.9 percent from 2016, m

South Korea and the United States are to start the first round of negotiations to amend their bilateral Free Trade Agreement on Jan. 5 in Washington, Seoul’s Trade Ministry said Wednesday.The move to revise the 5-year-old trade deal, triggered upon US President Donald Trump’s request, is expected to raise differences between the two countries regarding their stances toward the automobile and agricultural and livestock goods sectors.“During the forthcoming negotiations, we plan

South Korea’s key economic policy goal for next year is to create jobs and innovate growth, under a mid- and long-term vision to improve people’s quality of life, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance said Wednesday.The nation’s economy is expected to grow 3 percent next year on the back of a solid global economy and a series of policy measures by the Moon Jae-in administration, while the per capita gross national income will reach the $30,000 level, according to the ministry.&l

South Korea’s Trade Ministry said Monday that it will seek to start talks with the United States on amending the bilateral free trade deal as early as within a month, and take guard against Washington’s anticipated pressure in the auto and steel sectors.The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy submitted its Korea-US Free Trade Agreement road map to the National Assembly, wrapping up the domestic procedure that precede the actual renegotiation of the trade deal.“There is a pos

SINGAPORE -- At the presence of the “fourth industrial revolution,” governments are pressed to come up with a comprehensive technological and economic blueprint to survive in the hectic modern world -- and this is where intellectual property comes into spotlight, according to the chief of a leading international authority group.“One of the core strategies for individual governments is to create a business environment which allows an easy influx and acquisition of advanced foreign technology,” Fr

SINGAPORE -- The long-drawn-out legal battle between Samsung Electronics and Apple may be a headache for the world’s top two smartphone makers, but is also proof for the pivotal role of intellectual assets in the global economy, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization.“We are living in an era when conventional physical assets are increasingly converted into intangible intellectual assets and the intellectual property agenda is rising as a key basis of business competition,” sai

The government on Wednesday lashed back at the European Union’s decision to list South Korea as a tax haven, claiming the inclusion infringes on international standards and poses the risk of violating the country‘s taxation sovereignty.“We have violated none of the standards suggested by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development or other international regulations,” Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon told reporters. On the previou

South Korea’s current account balance in the service sector hit a record low in October, due to the soaring number of overseas trips during the long Chuseok holiday and a drop in the number of Chinese tourists here, central bank data showed Tuesday.The services account deficit widened in October to a record $3.53 billion from the $1.79 billion deficit a year earlier, according to preliminary data released by the Bank of Korea. The previous record was $3.34 billion observed in January this

In the wake of recent controversies concerning digital currencies, ranging from overheated speculation to cyberattacks on exchange systems, experts here locked horns and engaged in intense discussion on how to protect users from financial damages.The parliamentary National Policy Committee on Monday held a public hearing to look into the revision bill of the Electronic Financial Transactions Act, earlier submitted by Rep. Park Yong-jin of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea.While the lawmaker c

Korea Investment & Securities, a leading brokerage in South Korea, has been striving to expand its operations in Vietnam as part of its mid-term vision to become a top-tier investment bank in the Asian region by year 2020. Korea Investment & Securities’ headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. (KIS)“KIS was the most active among South Korea financial companies to expand outwards into the Asian market and is now successfully performing direct investment and financial consulting services related to Vietnam

Hyundai Card, the financial affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, has ventured out of the conventional horizontal credit card plate to adopt an unprecedented full vertical shape, seeking to deliver its digital-focused design innovation to customers. “Throughout the early stages of the digital era, horizontal format has been the norm for most display units ranging from televisions, theater screens and personal computer monitors,” said an official of the credit service provider.“But with the advanceme

South Korea’s exports rose 9.6 percent in November, marking the 13th consecutive monthly gain and adding momentum to the optimistic growth rate for this year, government data showed Friday.Outbound shipments in November stood at $49.67 billion, up from $45.3 billion a year earlier, according to data jointly compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Customs Service. The total value of exports during the first 11 months of this year hit a record high of $528.4 bill

South Korea’s central bank on Thursday raised the nation’s key interest rate by 25 basis points from a record-low 1.25 percent to 1.5 percent, making the first hike in more than six years.The largely anticipated action, which came in spite of North Korea’s latest military provocation the previous day, signaled an end to years of an easy-money policy and indicated a tightening monetary stance in upcoming years.“The monetary policy board decided to increase the key rate fro

South Korea’s top financial policymaker said Wednesday that North Korea’s latest missile launch is expected to have limited impact on the nation’s financial market, but vowed swift actions if necessary.“I expect that North Korea’s provocations will not have a great impact on the domestic financial market,” Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon said in a meeting with economic-related ministers at Seoul Government Complex.“But we will ke

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Tuesday that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with its UK counterpart as part of a move to support Korean firms in the civilian nuclear energy sector. Trade Minister Paik Un-gyu and his British counterpart Greg Clark sign a memorandum of understanding in London on Monday. (Yonhap)South Korean Energy Minister Paik Un-gyu and British Energy Minister Greg Clark met in London on Monday and agreed to fully support South Korea’s state-run ener

The business sentiment gap between conglomerates and smaller firms has widened, suggesting recent signals for economic recovery were mostly limited to the market’s upper clusters, data showed Tuesday. The business survey index of domestic companies for December stood at 80, up two points from the previous month, according to the central Bank of Korea. The given figure for manufacturing firms was 83, also up two points from a month earlier.A BSI figure below 100 indicates an overruling

Tension is building up within the financial market over whether the central bank will increase the nation’s key interest rate this week, for the first time in more than six years.The market consensus as of Sunday was that the Bank of Korea’s monetary policy board, which is to hold its monthly meeting on Thursday, will raise the current record-low rate of 1.25 percent by 0.25 percentage points.Hints an imminent rate hike have been building up for some time. Last month, while freezing

Financial authorities started to investigate financial companies in relation to the accounts under borrowed names allegedly belonging to Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, an issue raised during the parliamentary audit last month.The Financial Supervisory Service on Friday said that it has since earlier this week been carrying out inspections on all the banks and securities firms which opened accounts under borrowed names for Lee.The currently bed-ridden conglomerate chief is thought to have 1,021 of