Rate hike possible, regardless of inflation: BOK chief

South Korea’s central bank suggested that a key interest rate hike is plausible in the near future in step with economic recovery, even if the inflation rate continues to remain slow.“We may consider some adjustment (in the interest rate) without being restrained by (slow) inflation, as long as economic recovery holds out in the midterm flow,” Bank of Korea Gov. Lee Ju-yeol said Friday during a workshop with the press.The central bank’s stance has remained unchanged from

Oct. 1, 2017

Korea's exports soar 35% in Sept. reach all-time high

South Korea's exports soared 35 percent to reach an all-time high in September thanks to strong demand for semiconductors and displays, government data showed Sunday.Outbound shipments came to $55.1 billion for the month, up from $40.8 billion tallied a year earlier, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Korea Customs Service.The September figure marks the largest monthly total in South Korean history, eclipsing the earlier record of $51.6 billion set

Oct. 1, 2017

S. Korean bourse struggles ahead of long Chuseok holiday

South Korea's bourse struggled ahead of this year's long Chuseok holiday as tensions between the United States and North Korea reached new heights causing jitters among investors, observers here said Saturday.According to the Korea Exchange (KRX), the country's KOSPI lost ground for seven straight sessions from Sept. 19 through Wednesday of this week. This is the longest losing streak for the main bourse since Sept. 25-Oct. 6 of 2014, it said. "The loss of momentum caused the KOSPI, which w

Sept. 30, 2017

Finance minister expects Oct. economic data to deteriorate due to long holiday

Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon said Friday he expects exports and other economic data for next month to deteriorate due to the 10-day Chuseok holiday.Kim made the remarks during a meeting with religious leaders earlier in the day.  This year's Chuseok, or autumn harvest celebration, which falls next Wednesday, will be longest in decades because of its nearness to two other national holidays. The government even declared next Monday a one-off holiday to bridge the gap between this weekend an

Sept. 29, 2017

Korea to ban digital currency offerings

South Korea's financial authorities said Friday they will ban all forms of initial coin offerings, joining a wave of global regulations against the popular fundraising scheme with cryptocurrencies. The decision came after a meeting of senior officials from relevant ministries, led by the Financial Services Commission, the regulator said in a statement. Initial coin offerings allow start-ups or individuals to raise funds by offering cryptocurrencies. It has fueled a surge in values of digital cur

Sept. 29, 2017

Retail sales in Korea rise 4.3% in August

Retail sales in South Korea increased 4.3 percent in August from a year earlier, driven by strong sales posted by online malls and convenience stores, government data showed Friday.Sales of 13 major online stores and marketplaces jumped 13.1 percent on-year last month as more people bought airline tickets and travel packages, as well as clothing and fashion items via the Internet, according to the data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.In contrast, sales of 13 offline-based retaile

Sept. 29, 2017

Korea's current account surplus widens in August

South Korea's current account surplus widened last month from a year earlier thanks to brisk semiconductor exports, central bank data showed Friday.The country's current account surplus reached $6.06 billion in August, compared with a surplus of $5.03 billion a year earlier, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea.The figure represents a surplus for 66 months in a row. The current account is the biggest measure of cross-border trade. The goods account surplus widened to $9.

Sept. 29, 2017

[Monitor] 1 in 5 new businesses opened by young entrepreneurs

One in 5 new businesses that opened last year were owned by young people (classified as those in their late teens, 20s, 30s), data by the National Tax Service showed.The most preferred establishments were mail-order businesses, restaurants and commodities brokerages.A majority, or 56.7 percent, of the young and new business owners were men. But there were more women among new business owners aged 20 and 21. By sustainability, manufacturing businesses had the longest rate of 40.7 percent, followe

Sept. 28, 2017

Top tax official attends OECD meeting

South Korea's national tax office said Thursday its chief is attending a meeting of top tax officials from leading industrialized economies on tackling offshore tax evasion.Han Seung-hee, commissioner of the National Tax Service, is now in Oslo to participate in the 11th meeting of tax chiefs from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that kicked off in the Norwegian capital Wednesday for a three-day run.The conference brings together the top tax officials from 35 OECD member

Sept. 28, 2017

Korea calls on US to yield more in trade talks

WASHINGTON -- South Korea's trade minister said Wednesday he believes the United States should yield more in talks over their free trade agreement in the face of North Korea's nuclear threat.In a meeting with reporters in Washington, Kim Hyun-chong said the current military tensions with Pyongyang should strengthen, not weaken, Seoul's hand in negotiations over a possible amendment to the agreement known as KORUS."When there is a national security issue, shouldn't the US make more concessio

Sept. 28, 2017

Biz sentiment to worsen in Q4 amid N. Korea risks

South Korean manufacturers' business sentiments are expected to worsen in the fourth quarter due mainly to growing North Korea risks, a survey showed Thursday. The business sentiment index, compiled by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stood at 85 in the October-December period, down from 94 tallied in the third quarter, maintaining its bearish run for years. The BSI has been under the benchmark 100 point for the past 13 consecutive quarters. The last time the BSI measured above 1

Sept. 28, 2017

Korea's consumer prices rise 2.1% in Sept.

South Korea's consumer prices continued their sharp growth in September due to high-flying food prices, government data showed Thursday.The country's consumer price index advanced 2.1 percent this month from a year earlier, decelerating from a more than five-year high of 2.6 percent tallied in the previous month, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.The index has stayed over the 2 percent level for three months in a row.Starting a month earlier, the index went up 0.1 percent in Sep

Sept. 28, 2017

Govt. to purchase 720,000 tons of rice this year

The government will buy 720,000 tons of rice harvested this year to stabilize domestic market prices amid chronic oversupply of the staple grain, the agriculture ministry said Thursday. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it will buy 350,000 tons of rice for its reserve and 370,000 tons to help maintain market prices at a certain level.The government increased the amount of rice purchased for the supply adjustment from 299,000 tons in 2016, when rice prices fell to a 21-year

Sept. 28, 2017

[Monitor] S. Korea ranks 26th in global competitiveness: WEF report

South Korea’s global ranking in the global competitiveness index remained unchanged at No. 26 this year, held back by challenges in the labor and financial sectors, according to a report by the World Economic Forum.While the macroeconomic environment rose to be the world’s second most competitive, the labor market efficiency and financial market development pillars hung at Nos. 73 and 74 among the 137 subject countries.“Korea is one of the few advanced economies that have exper

Sept. 27, 2017

Korea's key rate is below neutral rate: board member

South Korea's key rate is below neutral levels, a monetary board member said Wednesday, in the latest signal that the country's central bank could move to raise interest rates going forward.Shin In-seok, a member of the BOK monetary policy board, made the assessment in a meeting with reporters, noting that the BOK's monetary policy is accommodative.Earlier this month, BOK Deputy Governor Jeon Seung-cheol also made similar comments at an international conference in Seoul. In August, the BOK

Sept. 27, 2017

Overreliance on semiconductor sector causes concern

The booming semiconductor sector has veiled the sagging vitality of other major manufacturing industries in Korea, analysts say.The high performance of two local chipmakers -- Samsung Electronics and SK hynix -- has helped boost the country’s exports and corporate profits as a whole. But the overreliance on them causes concerns over the potential damage the Korean economy will suffer when the boom cycle in global demand for semiconductors ends.The country’s semiconductor exports are

Sept. 27, 2017

Seoul Action Plan strives for cleaner, cooler cities via urban forestry

The Asia-Pacific region is home to more than 4 billion people, or roughly 60 percent of the entire world population, and 17 megacities. Although these economic hubs have helped lift millions of people out of poverty, the current era of rapid urbanization is leading to the depletion of natural resources, diminishing water quality, increased air pollution and adverse climate change effects, according to a report by Asia-Pacific Urban Forestry Meeting. 　Representatives from 17 countries gathered in

Sept. 27, 2017

Korea exports to remain solid in Q4: KOTRA

South Korean exports are expected to remain solid in the fourth quarter despite a slowdown in the pace of growth, the country's trade promotion agency said Wednesday. The leading export index for the October-December quarter stood at 59.7, slowing down from 63.9 in the previous quarter, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency said in a statement. "KOTRA's leading export index declined as Japanese steel and Chinese petrochemicals buyers plan to reduce their import volumes from South

Sept. 27, 2017

Korean households' excess funds shrink in Q2

Excess funds held by South Korean households fell in the second quarter of this year from a quarter earlier on increased purchases of new houses, data showed Wednesday.Surplus funds held by households here, including nonprofit organizations, totaled 10.5 trillion won ($9.2 billion) during the April-June period, compared to 14.1 trillion won in the previous quarter, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea.The BOK said the decline is blamed on new home purchases. The number of ho

Sept. 27, 2017

Tax office launches second probe to catch tax dodgers

South Korea's tax office said Wednesday that it has launched a second round of investigations on real estate speculators who are suspected of not paying their dues as part of the government's drive to curb price hikes in the local property market.The National Tax Service said it is looking into 302 people who bought and sold lucrative reconstructed apartments in the Gangnam district of Seoul, which has been in the center of the overheated property boom.The agency said it will check all financial

Sept. 27, 2017