South Korea unveils new W33tr COVID extra budget

South Korea plans to allocate 33 trillion won ($29.2 billion) for its second round of COVID-19 supplementary budget this year, the ruling party and the government said Tuesday, amid growing concerns over the nation’s fast-growing national debt.  Since last year, the country has drawn up five rounds of COVID-19 extra budgets amounting to 82 trillion won with the latest and sixth addition pushing the number over the 100 trillion won-mark.  Ultimately, the total second extra budge

June 29, 2021

Banks' lending rates inch down in May

South Korean banks' lending rates edged down in May amid a slight decline in deposit rates, central bank data showed Tuesday. The average interest rate charged on new bank loans came to 2.72 percent in May, down 0.02 percentage point from the previous month, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). The BOK cut the key interest rate to a record low of 0.5 percent in May last year after delivering an emergency rate cut of half a percentage point in March to cushion the impact

June 29, 2021

Self-employed's debts up 3.1% in 2019

The self-employed's debts grew 3.1 percent in 2019 from a year earlier as their income declined amid an economic slowdown, data showed Tuesday. Financial institutions' loans extended to the self-employed averaged 172 million won (US$151,800) as of end-2019, compared with 167 million won the previous year, according to the data from Statistics Korea. Self-employed people took out more loans to cover rising costs as they tackled a fall in sales amid an extended economic slowdown. Since last yea

June 29, 2021

S. Korea facing 216 trade barriers around globe: data

South Korea is currently facing 216 trade barriers from 28 countries, data showed Tuesday, amid the looming protectionism around the globe. The figure includes 11 additional trade barriers imposed against South Korea in the first half of 2021, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Of the additional regulations, anti-dumping tariffs accounted for eight and safeguard measures took up three. The steel and metal sectors were among major victims, taking up 1

June 29, 2021

Fiscal chief vows ‘complete’ economic recovery this year

Aiming for the complete recovery of the South Korean economy, the government will deploy a series of policies inducing domestic consumption and supporting pandemic-hit businesses and exporters in the second half, the Finance Ministry said Monday. “The direction of economic policy for the second half of 2021 was established with a focus on two goals -- complete economic recovery and a major structural transformation into a leading economy,” Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said while

June 28, 2021

S. Korea ups 2021 growth outlook to 4.2%

South Korea's finance ministry on Monday sharply raised its 2021 growth outlook for the country's economy amid robust exports and reviving consumption. The government forecast Asia's fourth-largest economy to expand 4.2 percent this year, up from its December estimate of 3.2 percent. The Korean economy is projected to grow 3 percent next year. If realized, it would mark the fastest growth since 2010 when the Korean economy expanded 6.8 percent. The ministry's forecast is higher than the Bank

June 28, 2021

Seoul citizens' economic sentiment rebounds to pre-COVID-19 level in Q2: report

Seoul citizens' economic sentiment rebounded to near pre-COVID-19 levels in the second quarter, a report showed Monday. According to the report by the Seoul Institute, a city-run think tank, a survey of 1,200 households in the capital found that the consumer sentiment index (CSI) rose 3.9 points from the previous quarter to 92.9. This marks the first time Seoul's CSI, which reflects consumers' economic sentiment, surpassed the 90-point threshold since the fourth quarter of 2019, just before th

June 28, 2021

S. Korea's exports forecast to grow 17.4% this year

South Korea's exports are expected to surge more than 17 percent on-year to surpass the $600 billion mark in 2021 on the back of the global economic recovery, a report said Monday. The country's overseas shipments are likely to come to $601.7 billion this year, up 17.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the report from the Korea International Trade Association (KITA). It will mark the second time after 2018 that exports of Asia's fourth-largest economy will exceed $600 billion per year.

June 28, 2021

Investment advisory firms return to black in 2020 on stock rally

Investment advisory firms in South Korea bounced back to a profit in fiscal 2020 as the local stock market remained bullish, data showed Monday. The 228 investment advisers reported a combined net profit of 242.6 billion won ($215 million) in the fiscal year of 2020, according to the data from the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). It marks a sharp turnaround from a total net loss of 37.7 billion won recorded the previous year. The financial watchdog attributed the stellar performance to in

June 28, 2021

S. Korean exports to jump 35.8% in June on global economic recovery: poll

South Korea's exports are forecast to soar 35.8 percent on-year in June on brisk demand for chips and automobiles from major economies, a poll showed Monday. Outbound shipments are estimated at $53.2 billion this month, according to the survey of eight brokerage houses by Yonhap Infomax, the financial news arm of Yonhap News Agency. Imports are projected to swell 34.7 percent from a year earlier to $48.2 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $5 billion. The country's exports rose 29.5 perc

June 28, 2021

[Life, unprepared] DIY pensions gather steam in Korea

This is the second installment of a series of articles investigating financial activities of seniors during rapid digitalization of the finance industry. —Ed. Three years ago, a 32-year-old software developer surnamed Park bought an individual retirement pension plan, not knowing exactly what his corporate pension plan was as an employee. Holding a portfolio mix of stock funds and a bond fund, with one of the stock funds returning as high as 43 percent since inception, the private retir

June 27, 2021

Insects may be used to produce eco-friendly biodiesel: researchers

A group of South Korean researchers on Friday announced a method to produce environment-friendly fuels utilizing remains of high-fat infects, which is expected to lend support to the country's efforts to go carbon neutral by 2050. "Black soldier flies have great potential to be used to produce biodiesel, considering they feed on food waste and have a high fat content," the Korea Petroleum Quality & Distribution Authority (K-Petro) said in a statement. It added the method is signi

June 25, 2021

Overseas direct investment dips 21.6% in Q1 amid pandemic

South Korea's overseas direct investment declined 21.6 percent on-year in the first quarter amid the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, data showed Friday. The value of investments made by South Korean companies reached $11.2 billion in the January-March period, compared with $14.3 billion the previous year, according to the data by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Such investments declined after a 4.7 percent on-year increase in the fourth quarter of last year. The country's overseas direc

June 25, 2021

Manufacturers' biz sentiment improves for July

South Korean manufacturers' business sentiment rose for July mainly due to growing demand for semiconductors and electronic parts, central bank data showed Friday. The business sentiment index (BSI) for local manufacturers came to 99 for July, up from 97 for June, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). The index measures manufacturers' outlook on business conditions in the following month. A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists. A modest recovery in exports and

June 25, 2021

Rate hike to come this year, BOK chief says

The chief of South Korea’s central bank said Thursday that its “interest rate normalization” will come at an “appropriate time” by the end of the year, setting a solid time frame for a policy shift for the first time. “The current pandemic-era monetary easing is extremely dovish compared with the state of the economy,” Bank of Korea Gov. Lee Ju-yeol said in a press briefing.　 Asia’s fourth-largest economy has been recovering at a faster-than-exp

June 24, 2021

BOK chief flags post-pandemic rate hike 'within this year'

The Bank of Korea (BOK) is ready to conduct its first post-pandemic rate hike "within this year" amid the economy's robust recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Lee Ju-yeol said Thursday. Lee has hinted that the BOK could exit from pandemic-era monetary easing if an economic recovery remains solid, but it is the first time that he mentioned the timing of a rate hike. "There is the need to orderly normalize monetary policy within this year," Lee told reporters. Lee a

June 24, 2021

Consumer sentiment improves for 6th month in June

South Korea's consumer sentiment increased for the sixth consecutive month in June, as exports showed signs of a strong recovery amid progress in COVID-19 vaccinations, central bank data showed Thursday. The composite consumer sentiment index (CCSI) came in at 110.3 for June, up 5.1 points from the previous month, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). A reading above 100 means optimists outnumber pessimists. The latest reading marks the sixth on-month gain following a drop in

June 24, 2021

S. Korea eyes smooth transition of 52-hour workweek scheme for smaller firms

South Korea's top economic policymaker said Thursday the government plans to provide support to smaller firms, including assignments of foreign workers, as it seeks to make a soft landing for such companies implementing the 52-hour workweek. Starting July 1, the country will expand the shortened workweek scheme to companies with five to 49 workers without a grace period. Since July 2018, the country has enforced the 52-hour workweek system in a phase-in manner. The shorter workweek was devised

June 24, 2021

[Contribution] Ministers urge green and inclusive future at OECD

Ko Hyoung-kwon is the ambassador and permanent representative of Korea to the OECD. -- Ed. The 2021 OECD Ministerial Council Meeting, chaired by the United States with South Korea and Luxembourg as vice chairs, was held May 31-June 1 under the theme of “Shared Values: Building a Green and Inclusive Future.” The meeting, at which ministers from 38 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development shared their responses to COVID-19 and plans for a better

June 23, 2021

No. of S. Korean millionaires rises despite COVID-19: report

Despite the economic fallout of COVID-19, the number of South Korean millionaires sharply increased, largely due to an overheating phenomenon in asset markets following the government’s pandemic-era stimulus measures, a report showed Wednesday.  According to the “Global Wealth Report 2021,” released by Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse, the number of people with financial assets worth more than $1 million, or nearly 1.1 billion won, rose by 140,000 on-year to 1.05 million

June 23, 2021