South Korea Finance & Banking

Financial news from South Korea, covering banking, investments, fintech, and monetary policy.

KRX Says Samjeonix Leverage ETF Preliminary Review Took 13 Days, Longer Than Benchmark ETFs

The Korea Exchange said single-stock leverage ETF reviews were at standard levels, with a 13-day preliminary review, longer than the 11-day average for benchmark ETFs....

Published 2026.08.07. 21:28:28 |

Coupang Adds AI Across Entire Shopping Journey

Coupang has introduced AI features across its shopping experience, including product highlights, AI infographics for appliance specs and automated rev...

Published 2026.08.07. 20:27:34 |

Shinsegae Simon Launches Daegu Premium Outlet Development, Targets 2028 Opening

Shinsegae Simon signed a land purchase agreement for a 41,134-square-meter site to develop the Daegu Premium Outlet, its sixth project and first urban...

Published 2026.08.07. 20:24:49 |

POSCO Holdings Raises 2.5 Trillion Won by Selling International, DX Stakes

POSCO Holdings will raise 2.5 trillion won by selling stakes in POSCO International and POSCO DX to fund its 'Triple Core' strategy spanning steel, li...

Published 2026.08.07. 18:52:36 |

Ruling Party Slams "Empty Supply Talk"; Seoul Mayor Oh Calls It "Height of Audacity"

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon rebutted the Democratic Party's "empty supply talk" criticism, blaming the cancellation of 389 redevelopment zones during its r...

Published 2026.08.07. 18:32:30 |

KDB Life Faces 7th Sale Attempt as KDB Capital Injection Emerges as Key Variable

Hanwha Life, Heungkuk Life, and Korea Investment Holdings joined the final bid for KDB Life, but the size of KDB's pre-sale capital increase, estimate...

Published 2026.08.07. 18:32:14 |

Experts: Drop Population-Growth Fantasy, Build Self-Reliant Local Ecosystems First

Korean local startup experts argue that regional revitalization should shift from infrastructure to people, building self-reliant local ecosystems and...

Published 2026.08.07. 18:29:08 |

Korea Shifts Local Commerce Policy to Nurturing Anchor Firms Like Sungsimdang

South Korea shifts its regional commerce policy toward nurturing local entrepreneurs and anchor firms like Sungsimdang and Terarosa, targeting 10,000 ...

Published 2026.08.07. 18:27:16 |

Korea Duty-Free Operators Cut Reference Exchange Rate After 14 Months

Korea's major duty-free operators cut their reference exchange rate from 1,500 to 1,400 won, the first reduction in 14 months, as the won-dollar rate ...

Published 2026.08.07. 18:25:41 |

Gwacheon Shows 'Supply Is the Answer' as Sale and Jeonse Prices Stabilize

Gwacheon, dubbed "quasi-Gangnam," saw home prices fall 0.01% and jeonse drop 4.36% this year as continued housing supply from reconstruction and land ...

Published 2026.08.07. 18:15:56 |

US Solar Tariffs Block Chinese Dumping, Hanwha 'Solar Hub' Shines

The US set a $21/kg minimum import price and 15% tariff on polysilicon to curb Chinese dumping, boosting Korea's Hanwha Solutions and OCI Holdings in ...

Published 2026.08.07. 18:04:40 |

Hormuz Bottleneck Drives US BWET ETF Up 51% in a Month

The Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF (BWET) surged 57.61% in a month amid US-Iran tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, topping US-listed ETF returns as ta...

Published 2026.08.07. 17:58:50 |

Mid-Sized Firms Urge Autonomy on Work Hours, Minimum Wage

KOMERA Chairman Choi Jin-sik urged the government to expand autonomous agreements between companies and workers on work hours and minimum wage, delive...

Published 2026.08.07. 17:53:41 |

AI Shields Pension Returns From Volatility, Curbs Losses

Mirae Asset analysis shows robo-advisor (RA) users curbed pension losses during July's KOSPI plunge, with RA investors down 10% versus 61% for non-use...

Published 2026.08.07. 17:52:37 |

Local Entrepreneurs Revive Chungju's Old Downtown, Slashing Vacancy from 60% to 12%

A decade ago, Chungju's Gwana-gol had a 60% vacancy rate. Local entrepreneurs cut it to 12% and grew daily foot traffic from 5,000 to 50,000, opening ...

Published 2026.08.07. 17:37:23 |

Korea May Extend 3-Year Residency Exception for Non-Resident Homeowners

Korea's Deputy PM Koo Yun-cheol signaled the government may extend the 3-year actual-residency exception for non-resident single homeowners and review...

Published 2026.08.07. 17:35:07 |

GS E&C Wins 408 Billion Won Busan Sajik-3 Redevelopment Project

GS E&C won the Sajik-3 redevelopment project in Busan's Dongnae district for 408.2 billion won, building 995 units across nine buildings, extending it...

Published 2026.08.07. 17:31:39 |

SK hynix to Invest 54 Trillion Won in Yongin, Cheongju for AI Memory

SK hynix will invest 54 trillion won to build the Y2 DRAM fab in Yongin and M17 NAND fab in Cheongju, expanding AI memory production and advancing the...

Published 2026.08.07. 16:58:39 |

Jin Air Posts 73.1 Billion Won Operating Loss in Q2 on High Oil Prices

Jin Air reported a second-quarter operating loss of 73.1 billion won as high oil prices from the Middle East conflict raised fuel costs, though revenu...

Published 2026.08.07. 16:35:40 |

Breaking News: Kakao Reaches Final Wage Deal With Union, Salaries Up 6.3%

Kakao and its labor union finalized a 2026 wage agreement with a 6.3% salary increase and a 3 million won special incentive, ending months of conflict...

Published 2026.08.07. 16:28:38 |

Korea Weighs Lowering 30% Local EV Subsidy Match as Budgets Run Dry

Korea is reviewing its EV subsidy system, including whether to lower the 30% local government matching requirement, as a 118% surge in first-half EV s...

Published 2026.08.07. 16:04:10 |

Banks Ease Balance Loans for The H Bangbae, Each Supplying 100 Billion Won

Shinhan, KB Kookmin, and Hana Banks will each supply about 100 billion won in balance loans for Seoul's The H Bangbae complex, with banks weighing sal...

Published 2026.08.07. 15:45:00 |

Hanon Systems Expands Local Production with Canadian Government Support

Hanon Systems will receive a 10 billion won grant from the Canadian government to expand its electric compressor production capacity in Vaughan, Ontar...

Published 2026.08.07. 15:32:46 |

Amazon Japan Logistics Payments to Shift to Yen Stablecoin

AZ-COM Maruwa, Amazon Japan's logistics operator, invested 1 billion yen in yen stablecoin issuer JPYC to build a B2B payment system paying 2,300 part...

Published 2026.08.07. 15:12:51 |

Samsung, POSTECH Crack Key Technology for Ultra-High-Layer NAND

Samsung Electronics and POSTECH developed a technology to control silicon crystal growth in 3D NAND channels, paving the way for ultra-high-layer NAND...

Published 2026.08.07. 15:11:08 |

Young Poong Accepts Metal Association Apology, Demands Same From Korea Zinc

Young Poong accepted an official apology from the Korea Nonferrous Metal Association over a distorted statement and renewed demands for an apology fro...

Published 2026.08.07. 15:04:34 |

Korail to Hire 600 New Employees in Second Half, Applications Open on 18th

Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) will hire 600 new employees in the second half, with online applications open from the 18th to the 21st across fiv...

Published 2026.08.07. 14:57:22 |

Korea Airports Corporation to Nurture 15 Aspiring Founders in AI, UAM

Korea Airports Corporation is recruiting 15 aspiring founders through the 23rd for a startup incubating program in AI, UAM, and aviation sectors, offe...

Published 2026.08.07. 14:55:58 |

US Imposes Polysilicon Tariffs; $452 Million in Korean Exports at Risk

The US will impose tariffs and a minimum import price on polysilicon and derivatives from December 4, with Korea estimating $452 million in exports at...

Published 2026.08.07. 14:52:29 |

Korea Rail Network Authority Extends Osong Test Track for 120 km/h Trials

Korea National Railway extended the Osong test track by 5 km to enable 120 km/h trials, supporting a 1.2 trillion won LA Metro heavy rail upgrade for ...

Published 2026.08.07. 14:50:54 |

PharmaResearch Posts Record Quarterly Results on Rejuran, Cosmetics Exports

PharmaResearch posted record Q2 results with revenue of 178.7 billion won and operating profit of 66.5 billion won, driven by a 62% jump in exports of...

Published 2026.08.07. 14:34:38 |

Seoul Says Redevelopment Added 36.4% More Homes Over Three Years

Seoul says 59 completed redevelopment projects added 36.4% more homes over three years, and pledges to break ground on 310,000 units by 2031 through e...

Published 2026.08.07. 14:00:11 |

LigaChem Bio Gains Sole Development Rights to Co-Developed ADC Drug

LigaChem Bio secured sole rights to develop the ADC drug candidate LNCB74 after partner NextCure shifted focus following a merger, gaining full contro...

Published 2026.08.07. 13:55:57 |

Korea Duty-Free Operators Cut Reference Rate to 1,400 Won After Currency Eases

Korea's duty-free operators—Lotte, Shilla, Shinsegae, and Hyundai—are cutting their reference exchange rate to 1,400 won from 1,500 won, the first red...

Published 2026.08.07. 11:58:16 |

Top Traders Dump SK hynix for Second Day, Buy Samsung Electro-Mechanics

Top 1% traders at Mirae Asset Securities net-sold SK hynix for a second straight day on the 7th, while buying Samsung Electro-Mechanics and OE Solutio...

Published 2026.08.07. 11:31:23 |

Woori Bank Backs 400 Billion Won Jeonbuk Offshore Wind Project

Woori Bank will provide combined loans and fund investments for a 400 billion won, 76.2MW offshore wind power project in Gochang County, Jeonbuk, unde...

Published 2026.08.07. 11:26:18 |

KEPCO Tech Holdings Launches to Nurture Energy Unicorns

KEPCO Tech Holdings, wholly funded by Korea Electric Power Corp., officially launched to commercialize 8,000 patents and nurture energy unicorns throu...

Published 2026.08.07. 11:21:43 | Updated 2026.08.07. 18:33:13 |

Hansung Enterprise Joins Philippine Food Expo to Promote Crami, Luncheon Meat

Hansung Enterprise participated in WOFEX 2026 in Manila for a second consecutive year, showcasing its Crami and Luncheon Meat brands to about 2,000 vi...

Published 2026.08.07. 11:17:07 |

NH NongHyup Life Speeds Up Compensation for Heat Illness Among Farmers

NH NongHyup Life is providing coverage for heat-related illness among farmers and operating a rapid compensation system through the government's Farme...

Published 2026.08.07. 11:13:05 |

Musinsa Kicks Opens First Mall Store at Starfield Goyang

Musinsa Kicks opened its third store, Starfield Goyang, on the 7th, marking its first shopping mall location, with sneakers, outdoor gear and accessor...

Published 2026.08.07. 10:58:19 |

Daesang Donates 35,000 Eggs to Sejong Welfare Facilities for Heat-Vulnerable Groups

Daesang donated 35,775 animal-welfare eggs to 51 social welfare facilities in Sejong to support heat-vulnerable groups, bringing its cumulative donati...

Published 2026.08.07. 10:52:15 |

Korea Finance Minister Signals Flexibility on Non-Residence Homeowner Exemptions

Korea's Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol signaled flexibility on non-residence homeowner tax exemptions, hinting at broader qualifying reasons and a pos...

Published 2026.08.07. 10:43:49 | Updated 2026.08.07. 13:24:41 |

7 in 10 'Kangaroo' Job Seekers Have No Plans to Move Out

A survey of 1,615 Korean job seekers found 44% live with their parents, and 7 in 10 have no plans to move out even after earning an income, citing fin...

Published 2026.08.07. 10:41:04 |

Ceragem Confirms Blood Circulation Benefits of Celltron Circulation Chair

Ceragem confirmed the blood circulation benefits of its Celltron Circulation Chair, with blood flow in the back of the hand rising 8.01% after a singl...

Published 2026.08.07. 10:39:40 |

Hyundai, Kia Win 2 Best of Best, 15 Honors at Red Dot Awards

Hyundai Motor and Kia won two Best of Best awards and 15 Winner honors at the 2026 Red Dot Award, with Genesis Cheongju and UX Studio Seoul earning to...

Published 2026.08.07. 10:36:58 |

LH Launches First Public Sale in Siheung Geomo with 290 Newlywed Hope Town Units

LH launched its first public sale in Siheung Geomo district, offering 290 Newlywed Hope Town units at around 440 million won each, with move-in slated...

Published 2026.08.07. 10:36:17 |

Coreline Soft Wins German Lung Cancer Screening Deal for 10-Year CT Solution Supply

Medical AI firm Coreline Soft secured a 10-year lung cancer screening contract in Germany's Lostau region through Canon, supplying three chest CT AI s...

Published 2026.08.07. 10:32:29 |

Moderna Wins FDA Nod for World's First mRNA Flu Vaccine

Moderna's mNEXSPIKE, the world's first mRNA-based flu vaccine, wins FDA approval for adults aged 50 and older, showing 26.6% higher efficacy than stan...

Published 2026.08.07. 10:15:42 |

Gangnam, Ultra-Premium Single-Home Owners Hit by 'Tax Bomb'; Oh Se-hoon Fires Back

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon criticized the government's plan to strengthen property holding taxes, warning it will only push up jeonse and monthly rents wh...

Published 2026.08.07. 10:03:04 |

Even a 'Legend' Departs: Google Reorganizes as It Falls Behind in AI

Google reorganizes its AI operations around Mountain View as DeepMind CEO Hassabis and 'AlphaGo father' Jeff Dean depart amid a Big Tech talent battle...

Published 2026.08.07. 10:01:50 |

Thirty Years of No-Layoff Principle: Nvidia Expands Hiring Amid Big Tech Cuts

Nvidia expands hiring under its 30-year no-layoff principle as Meta and Microsoft cut jobs, while Korea's wage arrears prosecutions hit a five-year hi...

Published 2026.08.07. 10:01:37 |

Kakao's First AI Play Is Food Delivery, Teaming Up with Coupang Eats

Kakao picks food delivery as its first AI vertical, partnering with Coupang Eats to bring ordering to KakaoTalk, while Meta joins the AI coding race a...

Published 2026.08.07. 10:00:05 |

HD Hydrogen Completes Mass Production System for Korean-Style SOFC

HD Hydrogen, HD Hyundai's fuel cell unit, has completed a mass production system for Korean-style SOFC, launching its HD250 and HD300 power generation...

Published 2026.08.07. 09:57:11 |

Hyundai Dept Store Partners with KOCCA to Expand K-Fashion Overseas

Hyundai Department Store signed an MOU with KOCCA to support K-fashion designer brands' overseas expansion, starting with a pop-up at Parco Shibuya in...

Published 2026.08.07. 09:53:30 |

7-Eleven Joins Coupang Eats, Plans 24-Hour Delivery Within Year

7-Eleven joins Coupang Eats across about 1,500 stores in Korea, plans a 24-hour delivery system within the year, and offers launch promotions includin...

Published 2026.08.07. 09:46:19 |

HMM Hosts Children's Merchant Ship Experience Event

HMM held its "2026 Children's Merchant Ship Experience" event, giving about 20 elementary school students hands-on tours of Busan New Port and ship na...

Published 2026.08.07. 09:42:25 |

Used Furniture Trade Booms as Buyers Snap Up Deals

Used furniture trading on Korean apps like Bunjang is growing about 25% annually, with buyers in their 30s leading and one sofa listed at 20 million w...

Published 2026.08.07. 09:22:25 |

Unmanned, Hybrid Stores Spread, Boosting 'Integrated Operations Services' in Security Sector

SK Shieldus' ADT Caps launched "Caps Store Solution," an app integrating security, access, sales, attendance, and equipment management for unmanned an...

Published 2026.08.07. 08:13:56 |