Seoul to accept applications for low-rent office space in Yeouido

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Friday that it is scheduled to accept new applicants for a program that offers office space for foreign financial firms at affordable prices in Yeouido, a financial hub in the city. The municipal government plans to run the Seoul International Financial Office on the 16th floor of the One IFC building. Eligible applicants include foreign or South Korean financial institutions, and finance-related international organizations or nonprofit corporations enter

Sept. 18, 2020

LG Chem stocks rebound as split-off jitters ease

The stock price of petrochemical-to-battery company LG Chem rebounded Friday after a sharp loss immediately after its announcement during trading hours Thursday that it would split off its battery operation. LG Chem shares climbed 3.3 percent in the Friday trading session. LG Chem is the fifth-largest stock on the main bourse, Kospi, with 47.1 trillion won ($40.6 billion) market cap. The slight recovery came after the Seoul-based company unveiled plans to carve out its battery unit under a ne

Sept. 18, 2020

Seoul stocks snap two-day losing streak on massive foreign buying

South Korean stocks snapped a two-session losing streak on Friday, helped by strong foreign buying that offset individuals' profit-taking rush. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 6.23 points, or 0.26 percent, to close at 2,412.40. Trading volume was moderate at about 744 million shares worth some 13.7 trillion won ($11.8 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 433 to 416. After a 1.22 percent drop in the previous session

Sept. 18, 2020

Military Mutual Aid Association shows outstanding return-on-asset performance

The Military Mutual Aid Association, which provides pension services for military personnel, has been the most profitable mutual aid association in South Korea for the past three years, business data tracker CEO Score Daily said Friday. Currently, the nation has seven large mutual aid associations, including the Public Officials Benefit Association, the Korea Local Finance Association, the Police Mutual Aid Association and the Korean Teachers’ Credit Union. The MMAA’s return on

Sept. 18, 2020

Shinhan BNP Paribas vows climate action through asset management

South Korean asset manager Shinhan BNP Paribas Asset Management said Friday that it would beef up efforts to take climate change into account in its asset management business, as part of its green finance and impact investing. Under its climate action declaration released Friday, the joint venture of Shinhan Financial Group and BNP Paribas Asset Management will consider the impact its investment decisions and financial products could have on climate change. It is the first such declaration in

Sept. 18, 2020

Seoul stocks open higher on battery, bio rebound

South Korean stocks opened higher Friday, led by a rebound in battery and bio heavyweights.  The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 6.03 points, or 0.25 percent, to 2,412.2 in the first 15 minutes of trading.  The KOSPI rebounded after the index lost 1.22 percent in the previous session.  Battery and biopharmaceutical large caps fared strong, while auto-related shares dipped.Leading chemical company LG Chem jumped 2.33 percent, a day after it announced its decisi

Sept. 18, 2020

IOC welcomes Kyobo chairman as head of Youth Olympic committee

The International Olympic Committee has sent a congratulatory letter to life insurance firm Kyobo Life Chairman Shin Chang-jae, who has been appointed as the organizing chief for the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games. While congratulating Shin’s appointment, Thomas Bach, the IOC president, expressed expectations for the quadrennial global sports event, which is scheduled to be held in Gangwon Province. “Considering the chairman’s contributions to youth sports and cult

Sept. 17, 2020

Individual investors pour W100tr into stocks during pandemic

The amount of money local retail investors have poured in the local and overseas stock markets has reached more than 100 trillion won ($85.2 billion), according to data released by the nation’s sole securities operator Korean Exchange on Thursday. Individual traders bought a total of 55.9 trillion won in the local market this year as of Wednesday. Of the total, 43.5 trillion won went to the main bourse Kospi, and the rest, or 12.4 trillion won, to the tech-heavy Kosdaq. Investor deposit

Sept. 17, 2020

KB Financial chief vows to boost shares via strong portfolio

KB Financial Group Chairman Yoon Jong-kyoo, who is likely to keep his role for another three-year term, pledged Thursday to boost the firm’s shares with a strong and versatile portfolio. “As you can see, KB’s shares have remained at a disastrous level for some time, which reflects concerns surrounding South Korea’s economy and finance coupled with doubts about traditional institutions’ competitiveness in the contactless era,” Yoon told reporters on his way to

Sept. 17, 2020

[Market Close-up] Pandemic polarizes risk appetite in real estate investment

Representatives of South Korean institutional investors said Tuesday they were increasingly tapping into distressed asset classes in their capital deployment to real estate assets, as the novel coronavirus disruption in the market is upping the appetite for the two extremes: very safe and very risky. The so-called “barbell strategy” is playing out to fight the downside impact of COVID-19, amid heightening pressure to deploy capital, institutional investors said during PERE Investor

Sept. 17, 2020

Seoul stocks dip over 1% on profit-taking

South Korean stocks decreased more than 1 percent Thursday, as more investors turned to profit-taking that stemmed from tech valuation concerns. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) dropped 29.75 points, or 1.22 percent, to close at 2,406.17. Trading volume was moderate at about 834 million shares worth some 13.9 trillion won ($11.8 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 655 to 200. Foreigners sold a net 126 billion won, whil

Sept. 17, 2020

FSS to allow full-time connection to internal network at financial firms

To facilitate remote working amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the nation’s financial watchdog will ease restrictions on external access to network systems at local financial companies.  The Financial Supervisory Service said Thursday it would allow employees to stay connected to the company’s internal communication software throughout the day by revising the regulations on the supervision of electronic finance, which stipulate the so-called “network separation syst

Sept. 17, 2020

Foreign currency deposits hit new high in Aug.

Foreign currency deposits at banks in South Korea touched a new all-time high in August as companies boosted dollar holdings, central bank data showed Thursday. Outstanding foreign currency-denominated deposits held by residents came to $88.5 billion as of end-August, up $1.14 billion from the previous month, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). The August amount was the largest tally since the central bank began to compile related data in June 2012. Foreign currency deposits

Sept. 17, 2020

Seoul stocks open lower on Wall Street losses

South Korean stocks opened lower Thursday, taking a cue from overnight losses on Wall Street that stemmed from tech valuation concerns. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 11.69 points, or 0.58 percent, to 2,424.23 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Despite the US Federal Reserve's signal to keep the near-zero rate till 2023, the local stock market remained bearish. The Nasdaq Composite retreated 1.25 percent to 11,050.47 points on Wednesday (New York time). The S&P 50

Sept. 17, 2020

KB Financial chief Yoon Jong-kyoo likely to serve 3rd term

KB Financial Group Chairman Yoon Jong-kyoo should keep his seat for a third term, the banking group’s outside directors decided Wednesday, bolstered by his bold moves in expansion of nonbanking businesses and acquisition. The group’s chairman recommendation committee, made up of KB’s seven outside directors, chose Yoon as the sole and final candidate for the next chairman role. The incumbent chief would have to gain final approval at a shareholders meeting scheduled Nov. 20 t

Sept. 16, 2020

Korean investors close in on US student housing acquisition

South Korean investors are inching closer to taking over a student housing facility in the United States from US real estate developer Lincoln Ventures for roughly 140 billion won ($119.37 million), local brokerage arm Korea Investment & Securities said Wednesday. The 18-story building, Moontower, has four underground levels and houses 166 units with 567 beds. The high-end student residential facility will serve the University of Texas at Austin starting in the fall 2020 semester. Its 19,0

Sept. 16, 2020

Carousell snaps up $80m from Naver-led investors

Singapore-based online marketplace platform Carousell said Wednesday it had raised a combined $80 million funding from an investor group led by South Korean internet giant Naver. Along with Naver, other Korean investors, including Mirae Asset-Naver Growth Fund and NH Investment & Securities, took part in the consortium. Credit Suisse advised the deal. The funding enabled Carousell to exceed a $900 million valuation, according to the startup. Since launching in 2012, Carousell has been

Sept. 16, 2020

Seoul stocks snap 4-day winning streak on profit-taking

South Korean stocks ended their four-session winning streak on Wednesday, as investors rushed to reap profits from the recent stock rally. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. After choppy trading, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 7.66 points, or 0.31 percent, to close at 2,435.92. Trading volume was moderate at about 755 million shares worth some 11.6 trillion won ($9.9 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 543 to 308.' Institutions dumped a net 328 b

Sept. 16, 2020

Kakao Bank’s pre-IPO market value soars to 46 trillion won

Amid heated competition over public subscriptions in Korea’s initial public offering market, the local top internet-only bank’s valuation on the pre-IPO market has soared, exceeding the combined market cap of the four major financial groups here. According to over-the-counter trading platform U-stockplus on Wednesday, shares of Kakao Bank were trading over the counter at 126,000 won ($107) a day earlier, for a market value of 46.22 trillion won. The figure was far higher than the

Sept. 16, 2020

Global Komsco Daewoo boosts S. Korea’s minting prowess

Global Komsco Daewoo, a Korean cotton pulp maker in Uzbekistan owned by the state-run Korea Minting Security Printing and ID Card Corp., has become a major supplier of raw materials for banknotes to minting agencies in more than 10 advanced economies, the company said Wednesday. Cotton pulp is widely used in making bills, checks, gift vouchers, and secured bank papers. It also serves as a main material for synthetic chemistry products and new material textiles. Marking its 10th anniversary t

Sept. 16, 2020