South Korean credit card issuers are rolling out credit cards themed after K-pop stars or animation characters, specifically targeting millennials and Generation Z as they emerge as the new main sources of revenue. BC Card said Monday that it has partnered up with K-pop girl group Blackpink for a new credit card. It is the first credit card issued in collaboration with K-pop idols, they said. According to the company, the credit card is to come in various designs featuring 10 images of Blackp

Dunamu, operator of the country’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, announced on Sunday its top five digital asset index with financial market tracker FnGuide, amid a growing interest in cryptocurrency investment. The index is based on Dunamu’s real time transaction data of digital assets in the Korean won market, while FnGuide analyzes that data to rank the top five cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. The top two cryptocurrencies on Friday were Bitcoin and Ethereum, the ind

Rainbow Bridge World, the entertainment agency behind South Korean pop music group Mamamoo, announced plans to go public on the nation’s secondary bourse, the Kosdaq. It hopes to follow in the footsteps of Hybe, which became a corporate giant after its market debut. The agency has submitted an application for an initial public offering. If approved, it may enter the stock market within this year, according to publicists representing the agency. According to the plan, Rainbow Bridge Worl

Korean fresh food delivery platform Market Kurly has changed the venue for its planned public debut from the US to the Korean market, as recently relaxed listing regulations and market conditions now give them firm reasons to stay home. After exploring options of floating its shares in the US or at home, Market Kurly decided to go for the Korean stock market, it said Friday. “We appreciate domestic customers, producers and suppliers and would like to share the success of the company,&

Commercial banks in South Korea are slated to cut back on business hours in line with the highest social distancing rules of Level 4, according to the Korea Federation of Banks on Friday. Local bank branches will adjust their operating hours to between 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m, from the current 9 a.m. to 4 p.m, to combat the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus and its delta variant, officials said. The recent move came after the government announced it will implement Level 4 guidelines in Se

The bank debt of millennials and Generation Z -- together including those born from the 1980s forward -- spiked as they increased investments in real estate, stocks and cryptocurrencies, data showed Thursday. According to the Financial Supervisory Service data released by Rep. Kim Han-jeong of the Democratic Party of Korea, millennial and Gen Z household debt from local banks surged to 26 trillion won ($22.7 billion) in March, up 4.47 trillion won from a year ago. Home-backed lending increased

The emergence of the “MZ generation” -- those born in the 1980s and ‘90s -- has brought significant change in South Korea’s financial landscape, pushing its conservative players to navigate uncharted territory in the technological era. Financial institutions are embracing the technological shift from physical space to digital sphere with big-name bankers experiencing the virtual world via VR headsets and holding executive meetings in “metaverse” online setti

South Korea’s National Tax Service has joined a nonprofit European tax body in a bid to enhance cooperation with member countries and provide policy support for local companies making forays into the European market. The Intra-European Organization of Tax Administrations approved South Korea’s entry as an associate member -- the first in Asia -- at the 25th General Assembly held through video conferencing from Wednesday to Friday. The IOTA consists of 44 member countries from the