[GLOBAL FINANCE AWARDS] KakaoBank CEO embraces digital wave, innovates financial services

Yun Ho-young, CEO of South Korea’s largest digital-only bank, KakaoBank, has brought changes in one of the country’s most conservative industries with innovative noncontact services. Playing a key role in leading the company’s digital banking drive, Yun has put KakaoBank in a position to receive the highest market valuation among local financial companies. Investors are keeping an eye on the CEO’s next steps toward innovation. “From the start, KakaoBank was differ

Dec. 6, 2021

[GLOBAL FINANCE AWARDS] KB chairman joins ranks of global ESG leaders

FINANCIER OF THE YEAR / KB FINANCIAL GROUP CHAIRMAN YOON JONG-KYOO Despite the problems of the pandemic, 2021 was a landmark year for KB Financial Group as it celebrated its 20th anniversary. Under the leadership of its Chairman Yoon Jong-kyoo, the firm not only clinched the title of the nation’s No.1 banking group by total asset, but made unprecedented progress in adoption of environmental, social and governance values, including an endorsement by one of the most important global ESG o

Dec. 6, 2021

Seoul stocks gain for 4th session on easing virus woes

South Korean stocks advanced for the fourth straight session Monday on easing woes over the impact of the omicron variant of the coronavirus. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) added 4.92 points, or 0.17 percent, to close at 2,973.25 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 468 million shares worth some 9.1 trillion won ($7.7 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 543 to 319. Foreigners bought a net 97 billion won and ins

Dec. 6, 2021

Will eased rule on capital gains tax effective?

SEJONG -- Homeowners will enjoy an increased capital gains exemption when they sell their homes after a law was passed. The National Assembly has passed the bill on raising the upper level for the tax exemption from the current 900 million won to 1.2 billion won. The revised law -- which is not applicable to multiple homeowners but to those owning only one home -- will take effect in the coming weeks. Under the current 900 million-won standard, a homeowner who purchased a property at 700 mill

Dec. 6, 2021

Seoul stocks open lower on omicron concerns

South Korean stocks opened steeply lower Monday, tracking losses on Wall Street that stemmed from worries about the omicron variant of the coronavirus. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) fell 30.26 points, or 1.02 percent, to 2,938.07 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. Stocks came off to a weak start, led by foreign and institutional sell-offs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated 0.17 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite declined 1.92 percent amid r

Dec. 6, 2021

[ESG Talk] Implant basic principles of ESG, competitiveness in 2022

Companies are facing a stricter and more standardized ESG business environment. Recently, the Korean state-run bodies have released the K-ESG guidelines, or guidelines for domestic players to abide by. As 2021 ends, reputable ESG rating agencies are publishing ESG scores in Korea. One of the most famous rankers globally is MSCI, and its ESG ratings recently added the new climate change section as part of their rating systems. The newly included ”Implied Temperature Rise“ element trac

Dec. 5, 2021

US keeps S. Korea on monitoring list for currency practices

The United States said Friday that it is keeping South Korea on its list of countries to be monitored for currency practices.    The US Treasury Department named 11 other countries, including China and Japan, on the monitoring list in its semiannual report to Congress.    It, however, said none of the countries were found to have purposefully intervened in currency markets for unfair gains.    "Pursuant to the 2015 Act, Treasury has also established a Monito

Dec. 4, 2021

Seoul stocks likely to face volatility next week on omicron scare

South Korean stocks are likely to continue to face volatility next week as investors take to the sidelines amid the spreading omicron strain of the coronavirus.    The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,968.33 points Friday, up 1.09 percent from 2,936.44 points a week ago.    The KOSPI plunged Monday and Tuesday in the wake of the first confirmed cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 in South Korea and other countries, fanning concerns majo

Dec. 4, 2021

Seoul stocks up for 3rd day on foreign buying

South Korean stocks advanced for a third consecutive session Friday, backed by strong foreign buying. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) rose 23.06 points, or 0.78 percent, to close at 2,968.33 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 478 million shares worth some 10.1 trillion won ($8.6 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 807 to 95. Foreigners bought a net 157 billion won and institutions purchased 89 billion won, whi

Dec. 3, 2021

IBK chief visits corporate clients, OECD headquarters in Europe

State-run Industrial Bank of Korea CEO Yoon Jong-won recently met with corporate clients and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development officials in Europe, while inspecting potential markets the bank is eyeing to enter, the firm said Friday. The meetings and site visits took place during his weeklong business trip to Poland, the United Kingdom and France from Nov. 23-30. In Poland, Yoon visited two factories and met with corporate clients to lend an ear to the troubles they ha

Dec. 3, 2021

Seoul stocks open lower on tightened virus curbs

South Korean stocks opened lower Friday as health authorities strengthened virus curbs amid spiking cases and the potential spread of the highly contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) had fallen 15.16 points, or 0.51 percent, to trade at 2,930.11 points as of 9:15 a.m. Stocks got off to a lackluster start, as the government has decided to limit private gatherings to six people in the capital area and eight in other regions for fou

Dec. 3, 2021

Seoul stocks rally for 2nd day on strong foreign buying

South Korean stocks rallied for second straight session Thursday on the back of strong foreign buying. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) increased 45.55 points, or 1.57 percent, to close at 2,945.27 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 523 million shares worth some 11.8 trillion won ($10 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 756 to 139. Foreigners bought a net 886 billion won, while retail investors sold 915 billion

Dec. 2, 2021

Seoul stocks open lower on virus woes

South Korean stocks opened lower Thursday, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street that stemmed from worries about the global outbreaks of the omicron variant of the coronavirus. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 9.42 points, or 0.32 percent, to 2,890.3 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. Stocks came off to a weak start, led by foreign and institutional sell-offs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated 1.34 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite de

Dec. 2, 2021

Pressure builds on stock market over omicron variant, Fed warning

Growing fear over the omicron variant and sooner-than-expected tapering by the US Fed are weighing on the South Korean stock market, analysts said Wednesday, although some say it will take longer to gauge how the impact will play out here. The nation’s main bourse Kospi hit the lowest mark of the year on Tuesday, as short sellers dumped about 1 trillion won ($848 million) on the Kospi and the junior, tech-heavy Kosdaq in their second largest sell-off this year. Stocks rebounded Wednesd

Dec. 1, 2021

KB picks young CEO to lead flagship bank

South Korea’s KB Financial Group said Wednesday it has tapped a 55-year-old sales executive to head its flagship KB Kookmin Bank, reflecting the financial giant’s drive to seek transformation in business and target younger people. Lee Jae-keun, KB Kookmin Bank’s current senior executive vice president of the sales division, will become the youngest current CEO in the nation’s banking industry. Lee’s two-year term starts in January once his nomination is approved a

Dec. 1, 2021

Government-led consumer finance data service kicks off

A government-led program that aims to give consumers more information and control of their personal finance data was officially launched Wednesday, allowing customers to manage their lives more efficiently. The program dubbed “MyData” allows customers of 53 government-approved financial institutions to receive personal, customized and comprehensive finance data of their spending, all bank account balances, loans, insurance and more from the choice of their firm. The services will b

Dec. 1, 2021

Seoul stocks spike over 2% to snap 6-day slump

South Korean stocks rebounded more than 2 percent Wednesday, after plunging to the year's lowest point in the previous session. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) advanced 60.71 points, or 2.14 percent, to close at 2,899.72 points, ending its six-day slide. Trading volume was moderate at about 553 million shares worth some 12.1 trillion won ($10.3 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 773 to 122. Foreigners bought a net 907

Dec. 1, 2021

Seoul stocks open slightly higher on tech, bio reboun

South Korean stocks opened higher Wednesday on advances in tech and bio shares despite overnight falls on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) inched up 3.57 points, or 0.13 percent, to 2,842.58 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated 1.86 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite declined 1.55 percent amid growing concerns about the omicron coronavirus variant and accelerating inflation in the world's largest eco

Dec. 1, 2021

Seoul stocks dip to yearly low amid new COVID-19 variant scare

South Korean stocks tumbled to a 52-week low Tuesday as concerns over the potential impact of the omicron coronavirus variant continued to weigh on investor sentiment. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) plummeted 70.31 points, or 2.42 percent, to close at 2,839.01 points. Trading volume was high at about 968 million shares worth some 19.2 trillion won ($16.2 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 874 to 48. Foreigners sold a

Nov. 30, 2021

Dunamu to launch video chat metaverse platform

Dunamu, the operator of cryptocurrency exchange Upbit, said Tuesday that it has launched the beta version of its video chat metaverse platform, pushing the boundary between the real world and virtual reality. Metaverse refers to virtual communities that let users interact in real time. On 2ndblock, the metaverse platform, a video chat window automatically pops up when users’ avatars are close by, and users can see each other’s faces through webcams. They can also actively communic

Nov. 30, 2021