South Korea’s vice finance minister said Wednesday that the nation’s healthcare data combined with information and communications technology will have a “dynamic effect” on the economy. “With the passage of three data-related bills last year, enactment of the Data Framework Act and pursuit of the data dam project has allowed us to secure a systematic platform to enter a data economy,” Vice Finance Minister Lee Eog-won said in a press conference for healthcare

Economy Dec. 29, 2021

Some 870,000 small business owners failed to see out the pandemic in 2020, while their companies’ operating profits nearly halved in the same period, government data showed Tuesday. According to data from Statistics Korea and the Ministry of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Startups, the number of people working as small business owners fell 13.5 percent, or 871,000, on-year to 5.5 million as of end-2020. The government throughout last year adopted strict quarantine and social di

Economy Dec. 28, 2021

State pension operators, including the National Pension Service, have offloaded more than 10 trillion won ($8.4 billion) worth of top-cap Samsung Electronics shares so far this year, and instead bought stakes in Kakao Pay, Krafton and Samsung Biologics, data from the Korea Exchange showed Tuesday. They dumped a combined 24.5 trillion won of local shares from the beginning of the year to Monday. This compares to 25.7 trillion won worth of shares offloaded by foreigners in the cited period. Of

Industry Dec. 28, 2021

South Korea is projected to see stable economic growth in 2022, driven by strong memory chips and electronic devices exports, despite lingering omicron and COVID-19 woes, experts in the US, UK and South Korea said.  “We believe that sufficient vaccine supply and South Korea’s capacity to quickly rollout booster jabs will ensure a recovery in private consumption and business investment spending,” Fei Xue, an Asia analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit told The Korea He

Economy Dec. 27, 2021

The public and private financial sectors have recently appointed more women for leadership amid their drive to adopt environmental, social and governance values, but the field remains overwhelmingly male. The watchdog Financial Supervisory Service on Wednesday appointed its first “inside” female executive, a turn from its previous moves to hire women for the position from outside institutions including universities. This marked the first of such move in the FSS’ 22-year histo

Market Dec. 26, 2021

A decade ago, Seoulites were exposed to all of the elements of climate alongside automobile exhaust while waiting for the next bus to come. Today, the city has adopted digitally renovated bus stops that alert passengers of incoming vehicles, protect them from weather changes and help them better respond to medical emergencies.  Known as “smart shelters,” these tech-savvy bus stops are equipped with screen doors for safety, smartphone chargers, Wi-Fi internet access, air-condi

Social Affairs Dec. 25, 2021

The US Federal Reserve recently said it would wrap up its pandemic-era bond purchases in March, signaling as many as three rate hikes by the end of 2022. While the South Korean financial authorities have expressed confidence that the expected rate hikes will have minimal impact on the local market, experts were divided on the matter as of Friday. The nation’s First Vice Finance Minister Lee Eog-won said Thursday that the US Fed’s latest decision was within market expectations, res

Economy Dec. 17, 2021

Integrating the world of finance and the virtual space of metaverse is currently the biggest challenge for the global finance sector, among other tasks in the path towards digital transformation, the chief strategist for Shinhan Financial Group’s digitalization said Wednesday. “The biggest issue at hand for the global finance sector is metaverse,” said Sunny Yi, chief digital officer of Shinhan Financial Group, at The Korea Herald’s Eurasian Economic & Cult

Market Dec. 16, 2021

South Korea’s central bank chief expressed concerns of high inflation Thursday, saying it could pose as a major hurdle for the economy’s sustainable growth. “If the sentiment surrounding inflation expectations continues to sour, the ties between wages and inflation could drive up inflationary pressure, as observed in other economies,” Bank of Korea Gov. Lee Ju-yeol said in a press briefing. “The longstanding high inflation could hinder households’ purchasin

Economy Dec. 16, 2021

South Korea’s top financial regulator on Wednesday told tech firms here that their financial services are to operate under and comply with existing financial regulations. The remark came amid concerns of tech giants Naver and Kakao’s fast-growing online and mobile financial services as related regulations on their customer protection and data use remain unclear. “Big Tech’s foray into the finance sector will be carried out under the same financial regulations and custom

Market Dec. 15, 2021

South Korea’s KB Financial Group Chairman Yoon Jong-kyoo vowed to cooperate with ASEAN banks in achieving carbon neutrality at a leadership meeting of the UN-convened Net-Zero Banking Alliance, the firm said Tuesday. “As a representative of Asia in this meeting, KB will focus on spreading and supporting net-zero initiatives in ASEAN nations where we have a vast network of businesses,” Yoon said at the NZBA Steering Group Principals Meeting held via video conference on Monday.

Market Dec. 14, 2021

South Korea’s exports from the beginning of the year to Monday surpassed the record-high annual outbound shipments of $604.9 billion, observed in 2018, setting a new all-time high. According to data compiled by the Trade Ministry and Korea Customs Service, total outbound shipments surpassed the ful-year export record at 11:36 p.m. Monday. It is projected to surpass $640 billion on current trends, the Trade Ministry noted. A Trade Ministry official pinpointed further development in Kore

Economy Dec. 13, 2021

BNY Mellon, one of the oldest US banks, plans to downsize its South Korean operations and withdraw its financial investment business, sources said Sunday. It is one of many foreign financial institutions that have lost interest in Asia’s fourth-largest economy in recent years. According to industry sources, Korea’s policymaking Financial Services Commission recently approved BNY Mellon Seoul branch’s request to pull the plug on its financial investment business and trust serv

Market Dec. 12, 2021

South Korea’s Woori Bank opened its first representative office in Budapest, Hungary, after financial authorities there last week granted the license to operate, the firm said Tuesday. Woori said it plans to finance both Korean businesses that have entered the market and Hungarian businesses through the new office. Hungary has grown as a key destination for Korean businesses seeking to launch electric vehicle battery plants or auto parts manufacturing factories in recent years. Woori&r

Market Dec. 7, 2021

FINANCIER OF THE YEAR / KB FINANCIAL GROUP CHAIRMAN YOON JONG-KYOO Despite the problems of the pandemic, 2021 was a landmark year for KB Financial Group as it celebrated its 20th anniversary. Under the leadership of its Chairman Yoon Jong-kyoo, the firm not only clinched the title of the nation’s No.1 banking group by total asset, but made unprecedented progress in adoption of environmental, social and governance values, including an endorsement by one of the most important global ESG o

Market Dec. 6, 2021