Will FTX actually acquire Bithumb?

South Korean blockchain experts on Monday were divided over whether FTX, the crypto trading platform co-founded by billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, is actually seeking to buy local exchange Bithumb. Skeptics claimed that the Bahamian crypto exchange has no reason to purchase Bithumb at the moment with the financial authorities seeking to tighten regulations here and with the “stable condition” of the Korean exchange operator. “For the moment, there is no reason for FTX to ent

July 25, 2022

Seoul shares open higher amid lingering recession woes

South Korean shares opened higher Monday amid lingering concerns that the global economy is teetering on the brink of a recession. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 9.94 points, or 0.42 percent, to trade at 2,403.08 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Foreigners and institutions went on a buying mode, while retail investors sold shares. Last Friday, U.S. stocks ended lower on tech losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.43 percent, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite decr

July 25, 2022

Hana, SKT ink partnership in ESG, digital financing

South Korea’s Hana Financial Group and SK Telecom signed a share-swap deal worth some 400 billion won ($305.3 million) to set up a new environmental, social and governance model, officials said Sunday. “We have signed a strategic partnership with SK Telecom on Friday to build a new cooperative agreement based on ICT innovation,” Hana said in a statement. Under the deal between the nation’s banking and telecommunications giants, SK Telecom will acquire a 3.1 percent sta

July 24, 2022

Seoul shares open slightly higher on US gains

South Korean shares opened slightly higher Friday, following overnight Wall Street gains, amid lingering concerns over a global economic recession. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 2.09 points, or 0.09 percent, to trade at 2,411.25 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. Foreigners and retail investors went on a buying mode, while institutions sold shares. Overnight, US stocks rose on the back of tech gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.51 percent, and the tech

July 22, 2022

SK Inc. to provide interim dividend for 5th consecutive year

SK Inc., the investment arm of SK Group, on Thursday, said it has decided to give interim dividends for the fifth year in a row, showing its continued commitment to its shareholders. According to SK Inc., the board of directors agreed to pay interim dividends of 1,500 won ($1) per share, the same amount as the last year. The total amount of the interim dividends payout is estimated at 85 billion won. The company said it has steadily increased the annual dividend payment amount from 208.7 bil

July 21, 2022

Seoul shares up for 2nd day on US rallies, tech gains

South Korean stocks ended higher Thursday, as US rallies and eased concerns over high global energy prices boosted investor sentiment. The Korean won gained ground against the US dollar. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 22.31 points, or 0.93 percent, to close at 2,409.16, extending the winning streak to the second consecutive session. It is the highest figure since June 28, when the KOSPI closed at 2,422.09. Trading volume was small at 290.45 million shares worth 6.19 trillion

July 21, 2022

KB Financial Group releases sustainability report highlighting green financing

South Korea’s KB Financial Group on Thursday released its annual sustainability report for 2021 sharing its achievements in and insights on environmental, social and corporate governance. The report includes KB’s experience in dealing with key ESG issues such as climate change, green financing and diversity alongside the firm’s stance on corporate governance, ESG management and social responsibility. In October 2021, KB was officially endorsed by the Science Based Targets

July 21, 2022

JB Financial renames venture investing biz as JB Investment

JB Financial Group, a Jeonju-based financial holding company, said Thursday it has renamed its subsidiary Mega Investment to JB Investment. The finance company inked a deal to take over Mega Investment from South Korean online educational service provider MegaStudy in May for 48 billion won ($36.5 million). The deal was signed as part of the regional bank’s efforts in diversifying its business portfolio, said JB Financial Group. The newly named JB Investment is a venture investment firm

July 21, 2022

Seoul shares open higher on US gains

South Korean opened higher Thursday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 6.24 points, or 0.26 percent, to trade at 2,393.09 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, US. stocks rose as tech shares rallied on solid corporate earnings. The Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up 0.15 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite surged 1.58 percent. In Seoul, tech and chemical shares gathered ground, while financials and autos fe

July 21, 2022

Prosecutors raid cryptocurrency exchanges in probe into Terraform crash

Prosecutors raided local cryptocurrency exchanges on Wednesday as part of an investigation into a fraud case in connection with the collapse of Terraform Labs’ digital coins, TerraUSD and Luna, officials said. A team of investigators from the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office began seizing transaction records and other material from Upbit and other local exchanges around 5 p.m., they said. Investors in TerraUSD and Luna filed complaints against Terraform Labs’ CEO Do Kwon

July 20, 2022

Seoul shares end higher on U.S. rallies

South Korean stocks ended higher Wednesday, as investor sentiment was boosted by Wall Street gains and the expected resumption of Russian gas to Europe. The Korean won gained ground against the U.S. dollar. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 15.88 points, or 0.67 percent, to close at 2,386.85. Trading volume was moderate at 328.96 million shares worth 7.36 trillion won ($5.61 billion), with gainers outstripping decliners 630 to 228. Retail investors picked up shares worth a net 65.73 bil

July 20, 2022

Won gains after Yellen’s visit, weakening preference in safe havens

SEJONG -- The Korean currency gained against the US dollar on Wednesday, a day after finance ministers from South Korea and the US said they could take actions like supplying liquidity for stabilization of the foreign exchange market. The price of the Korean currency climbed by 0.5 won per dollar from a trading session earlier to close at 1,312.9 won. After peaking at 1,326.1 won last Friday, the greenback fell for the third consecutive trading session. This could be attributab

July 20, 2022

Seoul shares open higher on US gains

South Korean stocks got off to a strong start Wednesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 32.69 points, or 1.38 percent, to trade at 2,403.66 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, US stocks rallied on better-than-expected corporate earnings. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 2.43 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite surged 3.11 percent. In Seoul, most big-cap shares gathered ground, with techs and financi

July 20, 2022

Seoul shares edge down amid recession woes

South Korean stocks snapped their two-day winning streak Tuesday, weighed down by concerns about rate hikes and slower economic growth. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) retreated 4.28 points, or 0.18 percent, to close at 2,370.97 points. Trading volume was relatively small at about 332 million shares worth some 6.3 trillion won ($4.8 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 573 to 271. Institutions sold a net 145 billion won, wh

July 19, 2022

FSC to review removing hurdles on companies owning banks

South Korea’s top financial regulator pledged Tuesday to review lowering the regulatory barriers that limit the industrial sector from owning banks, to accelerate digitalization of the economy and global growth. “The goal of our financial regulatory overhaul is to create a new field, so that leading global players like (K-pop band) BTS can be born in our financial industry,” Financial Services Commission Chairman Kim Joo-hyeon told a regulatory reform meeting. “We will

July 19, 2022

Seoul shares open lower on recession woes

South Korean stocks opened lower Tuesday, tracking overnight falls on Wall Street amid concerns about rate hikes and slower economic growth. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 12 points, or 0.51 percent, to trade at 2,363.25 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, US stocks retreated on spreading concerns about the aggressive monetary tightening, fanned by Apple Inc.'s decision to narrow hiring and cut costs. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite lost 0.81 percent,

July 19, 2022

Seoul shares spike almost 2% to 2-week high on eased rate hike woes

South Korean stocks soared nearly 2 percent higher Monday, as the US Federal Reserve will unlikely deliver a full-percentage point interest rate hike amid deepening concerns over an economic slowdown. The Korean won gained ground against the US dollar. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 44.27 points, or 1.90 percent, to close at 2,375.25. Trading volume was moderate at 318.99 million shares worth 6.99 trillion won ($5.31 billion), with gainers outstripping decliners 778 to 116. F

July 18, 2022

Kyobo, Affinity on blame game over IPO rejection

South Korea’s Kyobo Life Insurance and its second-largest shareholder -- a consortium led by Affinity Equity Partners -- are blaming each other for its recent failure to carry out an initial public offering. The blame game follows the nation’s sole bourse operator Korea Exchange’s decision on July 8 to reject an initial public offering by Kyobo, without citing a reason. Market watchers, however, cited Kyobo’s yearslong legal dispute with the consortium led by the Hong K

July 18, 2022

Seoul shares open higher on US gains

Seoul shares opened higher Monday tracking strong gains on Wall Street last week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 20.48 points, or 0.88 percent, to trade at 2,315.46 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Friday, US shares closed sharply higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 2.15 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite rose 1.79 percent. In Seoul, most big-cap shares gathered ground, with carmakers and tech firms leading the upturn. Market bellwether Samsung

July 18, 2022

Weak won set to persist with US intent on more rate hikes

The South Korean won could further depreciate against the US dollar in months to come as long as the US backs aggressive monetary tightening to fight raging inflation, analysts said, as the Korean currency weakened to a 13-year low of 1,326.1 won per US dollar Friday. The breach of the 1,300 won psychological threshold -- prompted by rising US rates luring investors and soaring demand for the safe-haven asset amid global economic uncertainty -- is the latest indication that policymakers in Seou

July 17, 2022