While it's not breaking news that luxury fashion houses have been broadening their customer bases to younger customers, teenagers have risen as a new lucrative target demographic for such brands. More teenagers are purchasing high-end goods -- everything from lower-priced luxury beauty products and shoes to pricier bags, watches and jewelry. “Being a fan of Dior, I wanted to experience the brand,” said Lee Kyung-min, a high school student who visited a pop-up event held by Frenc

Industry May 27, 2023

The Bank of Korea kept its key interest rate unchanged at 3.5 percent Thursday, opting for a third consecutive freeze as inflation has been showing signs of easing off in Korea in recent months. Korea’s base rate has stayed at 3.5 percent since February, when the central bank first froze the rate after more than a year of rate hikes to tamp down soaring prices. “The BOK decided to keep the rate unchanged as it is appropriate to maintain the monetary tightening stance, with the inflat

Economy May 25, 2023

The inflation index of utility bills for households -- including electricity and gas -- spiked by more than 30 percent in the first three months of 2023, marking the highest on-year increase since the 1998 financial crisis. The increase in utility prices for electricity, gas and other fuels converted into the inflation index logged 135.49 points in the first quarter of 2023, up 30.5 percent from the same period last year, according to the Korea Statistical Information Service on Monday. This mar

Economy May 22, 2023

The Bank of Korea is likely to maintain the current base interest rate at its next rate-setting meeting on Thursday, going for a third consecutive rate freeze amid waning inflation and a sluggish economy. The market expects the central bank to maintain the key rate at 3.5 percent, following two previous rate freezes in February and April. Inflation has been coming down in Korea. The consumer price index, a barometer of inflation, showed a 3.7 percent on-year increase in April, falling into the 3

Economy May 21, 2023

The South Korean government is seeking to push the growth of cutting-edge display technologies, providing aggressive support such as hefty tax cuts and deregulation. “Displays will be designated as a national advanced strategic technology to encourage private investments, ensuring a stable supply network while supporting policy financing, research and development, and training,” Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho said at a governmental meeting held in central Seoul on Wednesday. He added

Economy May 17, 2023

Ukraine’s top governmental officials called for Korea to take part in the reconstruction of the war-torn country following Russia's invasion at a meeting held by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul on Tuesday. The KCCI held a meeting under the title of “Korea-Ukraine Partnership for the Future,” in cooperation with the Embassy of Ukraine in Korea as high-ranking Ukrainian governmental officials visited Seoul, to discuss how Korean companies could take par

Industry May 16, 2023

The Bank of Korea and Samsung Electronics on Monday have joined hands to develop Central Bank Digital Currency technology that enables transactions to be made without internet access. The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding at Samsung’s headquarters in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province to strengthen their partnership on the development of CBDC, a form of digital currency issued by the central bank, as well as a solution for offline transactions using the virtual money. Samsung Electroni

Market May 15, 2023

Electricity rates and gas prices in South Korea will increase by 5.3 percent from Tuesday, to ease the financial burden of cash-strapped state-run energy companies. The electricity rate will go up by 8 won ($0.006) per kilowatt-hour and the gas rate by 1.04 won per megajoule, the government announced Monday. The hiked rates take effect from Tuesday, but will not be applied retroactively. This means that a four-person household that uses an average amount of electricity and gas will have to pay

Economy May 15, 2023

Four Korean companies -- Hanwha Aerospace, Cosmo Advanced Materials, KT and Posco International -- were included to the Korean index powered by US index provider Morgan Stanley Capital International on Friday. The much-anticipated inclusion of battery material firm EcoPro fell through due to its recent "extreme" price surge. Hanwha Aerospace, the space business arm of South Korean conglomerate Hanwha; battery material firm Cosmo Advanced Materials; telecommunications firm KT; and Pos

Market May 12, 2023

The Korea Development Institute, a South Korean state-run think tank, lowered the nation’s growth rate for 2023 to 1.5 percent from 1.8 percent in its previous outlook due to weak exports. The KDI projected Korea's economy will grow by 0.9 percent in the first half of 2023. It is expected to see 2.1 percent growth in the latter half of the year provided that the Chinese economy picks up and the semiconductor industry recovers from its slump. In the previous projection given in Febru

Economy May 11, 2023

South Korea’s current account balance in the first three months of 2023 posted a deficit for the first time in 11 years due to sluggish exports, Bank of Korea data showed Wednesday. Though the country posted a current account surplus in March, the first quarter recorded a deficit of $4.46 billion due to a record-high deficit of $4.21 billion in January, followed by $520 million in February. It was the first time the quarterly figure went into the red since the first quarter of 2012. The sl

Economy May 10, 2023

Despite the recent launch of Apple Pay in Korea, it is unlikely that other financial services offered by the US tech giant will be available in Korea soon due to legal issues, the Bank of Korea projected. Apple kicked off its mobile payment service, Apple Pay, in Korea with partner Hyundai Card in March. Yet, its other financial services such as Apple Card, Apple Cash and Apple Pay Later are currently available only in the US. The firm’s plan to launch financial services other than Apple P

Market May 9, 2023

South Korea announced a plan Monday to create a total of 10 special industrial zones by 2027, as regional vanguards to spur job creation and investment. The zones will run under the government’s deregulation scheme. The government hopes businesses operating there will focus on launching new products and making inroads in to overseas markets. Measures that match global standards, from regulation, certification to insurance, will be applied, the government said. Korea will first upgrade two

Market May 8, 2023

The rate gap between South Korea and the United States has reached an all-time high, raising concerns over the local financial market due to higher volatility and uncertainty, Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho said on Thursday. The US Federal Reserve lifted its base rate by 25 basis points on Thursday, widening the rate gap between Korea and the US up to an unprecedented figure of 1.75 percentage points. "In a situation where the interest rate gap is widened, there is a possibility of increasi

Economy May 4, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged that Korea will contribute to building cooperative supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region through “partnership and solidarity” during an event held by the Asian Development Bank in Songdo, Incheon, on Wednesday. "The pandemic has pushed the global economy into tremendous hardship,” Yoon said in his congratulatory address for the ADB’s 56th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors, citing Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the frag

Economy May 3, 2023