[Herald Interview] ‘Startup ecosystem in Korea entering next level’

What distinguishes Antler from most startup accelerators is that it is interested in funding startups at a very early, pre-seed stage. It works as a matchmaker for teams, helps them receive funds, then pushes them out into society as a full-fledged business -– all in six months. And it intends to do exactly so in South Korea, where startups’ humble beginnings remain reliant on the generosity of families and friends. “Once an innovator decides to launch his or her own busine

April 25, 2022

KB outpaces banking rivals in Q1 with record earnings

South Korea’s KB Financial Group outperformed its local rivals, posting a record net profit for the first three months of the year as the banking industry’s overall performance was bolstered by a surge in interest and fee revenue, regulatory filings showed Friday. KB’s net income gained 14.4 percent on-year to 1.45 trillion won ($1.17 billion) in the January-March period. Operating income gained 8.9 percent on-year to 1.9 trillion won in the cited period. Interest income inc

April 22, 2022

Naver ditches acquisition plans for SM Entertainment

South Korean tech giant Naver said Friday it is not joining a bidding war for SM Entertainment, the K-pop powerhouse behind EXO and aespa. “The company is looking into various options to bolster business competitiveness, but it has decided not to participate in the deal,” Naver’s Chief Financial Officer Kim Nan-sun said in a regulatory filing. The statement comes after months of rampant speculation that crosstown rivals Naver and Kakao had been competing to acquire a 19.21

April 22, 2022

Seoul stocks dip on hawkish US Fed

South Korean stocks retreated Friday as the US Federal Reserve chief signaled interest rates would be aggressively raised. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) fell 23.5 points, or 0.86 percent, to close at 2,704.71 points. The key stock index gained 0.32 percent from a week ago. Daily trading volume was moderate at about 1.21 billion shares worth some 11.9 trillion won ($9.6 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 550 to 313. Inst

April 22, 2022

Seoul shares open steeply lower on hawkish Fed

South Korean stocks opened steeply lower Friday as the US Federal Reserve chief signaled interest rates would be aggressively raised. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) retreated 29.17 points, or 1.07 percent, to trade at 2,699.04 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Stocks got off to a lackluster start, tracking overnight Wall Street losses. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite shed more than 2 percent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped some 1 percent. Fed Chair Jerome

April 22, 2022

Seoul shares end higher on chip advance

South Korean shares closed higher on Thursday as institutional investors picked up large-cap chipmakers. The Korean won weakened against the US dollar. After a choppy session, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) went up 9.52 points, or 0.35 percent, to 2,728.21 points. Around 988 million shares worth some 9.87 trillion won ($8 billion) changed hands, with gainers slightly outnumbering losers 443 to 400. Institutions scooped up a net 637.2 billion won worth of stocks, while fo

April 21, 2022

Samsung Electronics’ market presence hits 34-month low

South Korean tech behemoth Samsung Electronics saw its presence on the main bourse drop to the lowest in 34 months in terms of market capitalization, data showed Thursday, with analysts pointing to volatilities caused by the global supply bottleneck and foreigners’ selling spree. Samsung’s value stood at some 402.9 trillion won ($325.7 billion) as of April 14, accounting for 18.91 percent of the Kospi’s total market value of 2,131 trillion won, according to data provided by t

April 21, 2022

Drug developer GI Innovation eyes IPO in 2nd half of year

Local drug developer GI Innovation has submitted a preliminary application for listing on the country’s secondary tech-heavy bourse Kosdaq with its eyes set on going public in the second half of the year, the company said Thursday. GI Innovation’s initial public offering will be carried out under Kosdaq’s special listing track, known as the “unicorn special listing.” The Korea Exchange established the unicorn special listing process in April last year to simplify

April 21, 2022

Seoul stocks open higher amid rate hike concerns

South Korean shares opened higher Thursday as investors picked up large-cap shares amid woes over high-flying inflation. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) rose 12.78 points, or 0.47 percent, to 2,731.47 as of 9:15 a.m. Overnight, the US stock markets ended mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.71 percent, while the S&P500 fell 0.06 percent and the Nasdaq was down 1.22 percent. On the Seoul bourse, shares mostly traded higher. Market bellwether Samsung Electro

April 21, 2022

Seoul shares end nearly flat amid global uncertainties

South Korean shares closed nearly flat Wednesday as investors took a wait-and-see approach over the global economic slowdown and the US central bank's monetary tightening. The Korean won went up against the US dollar. After a choppy session, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) inched down 0.2 point, or 0.01 percent, to 2,718.69 points. Around 1.7 billion shares worth some 12.1 trillion won ($9.8 billion) changed hands, with gainers outnumbering losers 513 to 317. Foreigners s

April 20, 2022

Seoul stocks open lower on tech losses

South Korean stocks opened lower Wednesday, despite overnight gains on Wall Street, as large-cap tech shares lost ground on profit-taking. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 8.88 points, or 0.33 percent, to reach 2,710.01 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, US stocks rose ahead of the corporate earnings season. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 1.45 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index soared 2.15 percent. In Seoul, big-cap tech and bio sh

April 20, 2022

LX International buys biomass power plant operator in renewable energy push

LX International Corp., the trading arm of South Korea's LX Group, said Tuesday it has bought a major stake in a local biomass power plant operator as it pushes to expand its renewable energy business. LX International will take over a 63.3 percent stake in Poseung Green Power Co., in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, from DL Energy Co. for 95 billion won ($76.7 million), a deal that was approved by its board earlier in the day, the company said in a release. A biomass power plant produces st

April 19, 2022

Seoul stocks open higher despite Wall Street losses

South Korean stocks opened higher Tuesday despite overnight losses on Wall Street as foreigners and individuals picked up large-cap shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 25.21 points, or 0.94 percent, to reach 2,718.42 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Monday (local time), US stocks fell in volatile trading amid the possibility of monetary policy tightening by the US Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.11 percent, the S&P 500 lost 0.0

April 19, 2022

Seoul stocks open lower on concerns over Fed's aggressive tightening

South Korean shares opened lower Monday amid concerns that the Fed may raise rates at a faster and stronger-than-expected pace. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) went down 3.87 points, or 0.14 percent, to 2,692.19 as of 9:15 a.m. Expectations are high that the Fed may raise interest rates aggressively in the coming months. The US markets were closed on Friday. On the Seoul bourse, shares traded mostly lower. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics inched down 0.15 percent and

April 18, 2022

Seoul stocks open lower on concerns over Fed's aggressive tightening

South Korean shares opened lower Friday, tracking overnight Wall Street losses amid concerns that the Fed may raise rates at a faster and stronger than expected pace. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) shed 25.4 points, or 0.93 percent, to 2,691.31 as of 9:15 a.m. Overnight, the US stock markets ended down as investors faced renewed risks of the Fed's monetary tightening to curb the highest inflation in four decades. The 10-year Treasury yields rose to 2.8 percent, the highe

April 15, 2022

Seoul stocks almost flat amid eased monetary tightening woes

South Korean stocks closed largely unchanged Thursday as high-flying inflation is balanced against eased concerns over faster-than-expected rate hikes. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 0.22 point, or 0.01 percent, to close at 2,716.71. Trading volume was moderate at around 650.95 million shares worth some 11.25 trillion won ($9.18 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 540 to 307. Foreigners offloaded a combined net total

April 14, 2022

Wealthy young Koreans hold average asset of W6.6b: report

Wealthy Koreans in their 20s, 30s and 40s held an average asset of 6.6 billion won ($5.3 million) with a median annual income of 400 million won as of end-2021, a report showed Wednesday. The report dubbed 2022 Korean Wealth Report compiled by a think tank under Hana Bank was based on a survey of 1,952 Koreans above the age of 19 conducted in December last year. It categorized 708 respondents with personal assets over 1 billion won as “wealthy,” and of the group, 131 people aged bet

April 13, 2022

Seoul shares down for 2nd day on rate hike, China's slowdown concerns

South Korean stocks ended lower Tuesday, as investors kept a wary eye on the US central bank's hawkish monetary tightening stance and China's economic slowdown amid its COVID-19 lockdown. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) dropped 26.34 points, or 0.98 percent, to close at 2,666.76 points. Trading volume was moderate at around 854.23 million shares worth some 9.54 trillion won ($7.72 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 643 to

April 12, 2022

Seoul stocks open lower amid rate hike, China's economic slowdown woes

South Korean shares opened lower Tuesday as investors remain wary over the US central bank's hawkish monetary tightening stance and China's economic slowdown amid its COVID-19 lockdown. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 9.6 points, or 0.36 percent, to reach 2,683.5 as of 9:15 a.m. Investors fret over potential rapid rate hikes as the US Federal Reserve repeatedly signaled at an aggressive tightening policy to counter inflation. China's continued lockdown in Shanghai ov

April 12, 2022

Seoul shares end lower on rate hike, China woes

South Korean stocks ended lower Monday, as investors were worried about the US central bank's aggressive monetary tightening and China's growth momentum amid high inflation and the protracted COVID-19 pandemic. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) lost 7.29 points, or 0.27 percent, to close at 2,693.10 points. Trading volume was moderate at around 730.81 million shares worth some 8.71 trillion won ($7.06 billion), with losers outnumbe

April 11, 2022