Financial regulator hints taxation on NFTs

South Korea’s financial regulator said Tuesday it might impose tax on nonfungible tokens, adding fuel to controversy surrounding virtual asset taxation in the country. NFTs refer to the digital counterparts of real-world assets, mostly of visual art or music, that guarantee ownership through the blockchain technology. Financial Services Commission Vice Chairman Doh Kyu-sang recently said that the government could collect taxes on NFTs under the current Act on the Specified Financial Tran

Nov. 23, 2021

Emro Q3 net profit jumps 21% on business expansion

Emro, a supply chain management software company in Korea, said Monday its third-quarter net profit rose 21 percent from a year ago on expansion of clients and business. According to the company’s regulatory filing, its net profit stood at 3.98 billion won ($3.3 million) in the July-September period. Its operating income jumped 42 percent on-year to 4.04 billion won, and revenue expanded 11 percent to 11.2 billion won in the cited period. Emro said its net profit grew thanks to the incr

Nov. 23, 2021

Seoul stocks open lower on profit-taking

South Korean stocks opened lower Tuesday as investors attempted to lock in gains from the recent tech rally. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 6.54 points, or 0.22 percent, to 3.006.71 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. The KOSPI got off to a lackluster start amid losses in most large caps. Overnight, the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite lost 1.26 percent amid lingering inflation concerns. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.05 percent Top cap Samsung

Nov. 23, 2021

Seoul stocks soar 1.5% on Samsung, SK hynix

South Korean stocks rallied by some 1.5 percent Monday as a surge in chip heavyweights, such as Samsung Electronics, led the market gain. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) jumped 42.23 points, or 1.42 percent, to close at 3,013.25 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 524 million shares worth some 12.8 trillion won ($10.8 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 490 to 372. Foreigners bought a net 796 billion won and in

Nov. 22, 2021

Tough backlash expected over real estate tax burden

SEJONG -- The government’s move to levy comprehensive real estate taxes on a certain portion of homeowners is likely to face severe backlash, amid the growing tax burden of households in proportion to high growth in apartment prices. According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, those subject to the comprehensive real estate tax are people owning two homes or more -- whose collective property value, assessed by the Land Ministry, surpasses 600 million won ($506,000). Homeowners will

Nov. 22, 2021

[Newsmaker] Woori Financial Group fully privatized after 23 years: FSC

Woori Financial Group’s decadeslong journey toward privatization neared its final stage Monday, as financial authorities said the banking group is now “technically fully privatized,” greenlighting five investors in acquiring most of the remaining stake in the firm owned by the government. The Public Fund Oversight Committee under the Financial Services Commission sold a combined 9.3 percent stake in Woori Financial of the 15.13 percent owned by the state-run Korea Deposit Ins

Nov. 22, 2021

Seoul stocks open higher on strong export data

South Korean stocks opened higher Monday, helped by robust economic data that fueled optimism for a quick economic rebound from the pandemic. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 21.6 points, or 0.73 percent, to 2,992.62 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. Stocks got off to a bullish start as South Korea's exports jumped 27.6 percent on-year in the first 20 days of November on high demand for chips, autos and petroleum goods. Tech gains led the KOSPI's hike. To

Nov. 22, 2021

Wemade founder joins game billionaire list

Park Kwan-ho, the chairman of game developer Wemade, joined South Korea’s game billionaires last week as the company’s valuation soared following the growing popularity of its new game, which is based on the blockchain technology. Park, 49, saw his stock value reaching 3.3 trillion won ($2.77 billion) as of Thursday, which makes him the 10th richest man among individuals owning stocks in domestic listed companies, according to local market data provider FnGuide. Park, the largest

Nov. 21, 2021

Korean investors still wary of risky private debt

Although private debt has grown in profile as an investment option, South Korean investors are reluctant to adopt strategies that capitalize on debt mispricing, saying they prefer a conservative portfolio that protects investors against losses. Instead, they are looking to increase safety of investment with a focus on diversification and recession-proof sectors. “We will continue to invest in defensive sectors and construct a well-diversified portfolio, as we prefer an all-weather strat

Nov. 21, 2021

Carlyle Group fund acquires A Twosome Place coffee chain

Global investment firm Carlyle Group’s buyout fund Carlyle Asia Partners V has inked a deal to acquire 100 percent ownership of South Korea’s No. 2 coffee chain, A Twosome Place, officials said Friday. The final agreement followed negotiations between Carlyle and Hong Kong-based Anchor Equity Partners, which owned the franchise. The exact value of the takeover deal has not been revealed but investment banking sources estimate that it is worth between 700 billion won ($592 million) a

Nov. 19, 2021

Seoul stocks rebound on bargain hunting

South Korean stocks snapped their three-day losing streak Friday, as investors sought to buy oversold stocks after the recent fall in the local stocks. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 23.64 points, or 0.8 percent, to close at 2,971.02 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 649 million shares worth some 10.9 trillion won ($9.2 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 431 to 403. Foreigners bought a net 231 billion

Nov. 19, 2021

Absence of cryptocurrency funds puts investors in danger: Hashed CEO

An absence of funds that consist of cryptocurrencies has put individual investors in danger, blockchain industry-focused investment firm Hashed founder and CEO Simon Kim said Wednesday. “I believe this current situation of not being able to establish a cryptocurrency fund despite its popularity and high transaction volume is abnormal and contributes to market distortion,” Kim said. Kim added that the cryptocurrency market, whose transaction volume sometimes exceeds that of the

Nov. 18, 2021

Shinhan Financial chief joins UNEP FI’s Leadership Council

South Korea’s Shinhan Financial Group Chairman Cho Yong-byoung was elected as a member of the Leadership Council, under the United Nations sustainability initiative between the organization and the global finance sector, the firm said Thursday. The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative was created in 1992 between the UNEP and the financial sector to better encourage the adoption of sustainability in financial institutions around the world. So far 450 global financial in

Nov. 18, 2021

Gangnam fantasy: Land of longing

Kim Young-woo, a 47-year-old bank employee with two teenage kids, has had trouble sleeping in recent months. Kim’s family lives in a posh neighborhood in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, but may not be able to stay there. “My jeonse contract expires in December. I have to look for a new apartment since I was told that my landlord is moving back to this apartment,” he said. Under South Korea’s jeonse system, the tenant pays a refundable deposit to rent a home fo

Nov. 18, 2021

[Special] AMAXG Group launches NFT-metaverse platform

South Korean blockchain research company AMAXG has launched a metaverse platform where people can trade nonfungible tokens, strengthening its initiative for blockchain commercialization. AMAXG recently launched the platform, dubbed BIZA-UVIT, after joining hands with K2SOFT, a metaverse platform and ANISTAR, a provider of cultural content. According to AMAXG, BIZA-UVIT users can trade NFTs in the metaverse, virtual worlds shared by people online, and expand their own virtual worlds. NFTs are

Nov. 18, 2021

Seoul stocks open lower on US losses

South Korean stocks opened lower Thursday, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street, with tech and chemical shares weighing on the market. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 11.76 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,950.66 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated 0.58 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite declined 0.33 percent amid concerns about the growing inflation pressure. The Korean stock market opened at 10 a.m., one hour

Nov. 18, 2021

Property technology sees boom in pandemic era, but caution is needed: experts

Property technology startups, companies that provide digital services in the real estate industry, are enjoying the spotlight due to the digital transformation sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, but challenges lie ahead, experts said Wednesday. “Before COVID-19, the real estate industry was one of the most hesitant to implement innovative digital technology. That was largely because clients needed to visit and see the interior work for themselves before making any investment decisions,&rd

Nov. 17, 2021

D&C Mineun, Wanfeng Group team up for development project in Laos

  Real estate investment firm D&C Mineun has signed a business partnership with Shanghai-based Wanfeng Property to take part in the company’s development project in the Thatluang Lake Special Economic Zone in Laos, supported by the Laotian government, officials said Wednesday.  Chairmen of the two companies held the signing ceremony with Sinlavong Khoutphaythoune, president of the Lao Front for National Construction, who also serves as a politburo member of the Central Com

Nov. 17, 2021

Seoul stocks dip over 1% amid inflation worries

South Korean stocks retreated more than 1 percent Wednesday, as strong US economic data raised concerns about an earlier than expected rate hike by the US Federal Reserve amid rising inflation. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) lost 34.79 points, or 1.16 percent, to close at 2,962.42 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 533 million shares worth some 10.5 trillion won ($8.9 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 730 to

Nov. 17, 2021

Analysts divided over 2022 Kospi outlook

Analysts in and out of the country remained divided on their outlooks for South Korea’s benchmark Kospi next year this week, noting volatilities stemming from inflationary pressures, a memory down cycle and Korea’s presidential election in March. Morgan Stanley analysts on Wednesday slashed their growth target for South Korea’s benchmark Kospi by 250 points to 3,000 for end-2020, citing an ongoing unfavorable environment for the equity market and pointing to the upcoming pres

Nov. 17, 2021