Ministry of Economy and Finance

Debt financing Korea Securities Finance eyes its 1st foreign bond sale in 2026

Korea Securities Finance Corp. (KSF) is preparing to issue its first foreign currency-denominated bonds in 2026 to provide low-cost funding to domes...

Banking & Finance Shinhan to lead financing for battery storage project in Japan

Shinhan Financial Group will lead 4.9 billion yen ($35 million) in financing for a large-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) construction pro...

Culture & Trends S.Korea’s medical tourism thrives on weak currency

Foreign visitors to South Korea jumped nearly 20% early this year, largely driven by a sharp depreciation in the country’s currency value agai...

Asset management South Korea’s young rich vs old rich: Coins, art outpace bonds, funds

Young South Korean millionaires, placing bold wagers on unconventional financial assets such as cryptocurrencies and art, are gaining ground fast, g...

Business & Politics S.Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol ousted; new presidential election coming

South Korea’s Constitutional Court permanently removed President Yoon Suk Yeol from office on Friday, making him the country’s second pr...

Mergers & Acquisitions VIG taps KDB financing to buy 40% stake in Kakao Mobility

South Korea’s private equity firm VIG Partners’ buyout of minority stakes in Kakao Mobility Corp., the nation’s most popular taxi-...

Sovereign bonds S.Korea courts active funds for $140 bn treasury issuance

South Korea’s finance ministry will hold its largest-ever investor relations (IR) event for global institutional investors at the end of this ...

Regulations Parliament passes bill to expand boards’ fiduciary duties

South Korea's National Assembly on Thursday passed an amendment to the Commercial Act to expand boards of directors’ fiduciary duties to minor...

Business & Politics Woori Financial CEO Yim Jong-yong should stay for governance: FSS chief

Woori Financial Group Chief Executive and Chairman Yim Jong-yong should keep his post through to the end of his term and lead the banking group&rsqu...

IPOs Doosan Skoda Power eyes Czech IPO, aims to raise $111 million

Doosan Skoda Power, the Czech-based power plant equipment-making unit of South Korea’s Doosan Enerbility Co., plans to list its shares on the ...

Economy S.Korea’s economy grows 2.0% in 2024; Q4 GDP below forecast

South Korea’s economy expanded 2.0% last year, falling short of the central bank’s forecast on weaker-than-expected growth in the fourth...

Banking & Finance Hana Financial, Bain Capital to expand investment in S.Korea

South Korean Hana Financial Group and the US-based global well-known private equity fund (PEF) Bain Capital plan to strengthen their strategic par...

ESG Korea Investment Holdings’ MSCI ESG rating upgraded to A

Korea Investment Holdings Co. said on Thursday it was upgraded by three notches from B to A in the MSCI ESG rating this year.The MSCI ESG rating is ...

Economy Political crisis ups downside risk to S.Korea’s economy: S&P, Moody’s

Global credit rating agencies are warning of looming downward pressure on South Korea’s sovereign credit rating about a month after Asia&rsquo...

Economy Foreign direct investments in Korea hit record $34.57 billion in 2024

Foreign direct investments in South Korea hit a record high in 2024, driven by Chinese and Japanese investors in the manufacturing sector, the Minis...

Foreign exchange South Korea’s forex reserves drop to 5-year low in 2024

South Korea’s foreign exchange reserves shrank to a five-year low at the end of last year after the country’s foreign exchange authoriti...

Economy South Korea jumps to world’s No. 6 exporter; 2025 outlook dims

South Korea has sharply narrowed the gap in export value with Japan to a record low of $20.2 billion so far this year. But the country’s expor...

Business & Politics Korea’s new acting president assures economy resilient, security tight

South Korea’s new Acting President Choi Sang-mok said on Friday he is confident that the country’s economy is resilient and its national...

Business & Politics South Korea’s Acting President Han impeached; Stocks, won plummet

Han Duck-soo, South Korea’s acting president and prime minister, was impeached in Parliament on Friday amid a deepening political crisis batte...

Debt financing Korea debt financing faces woes as $34 bn in corporate bonds mature in H1

South Korea’s financial markets will see nearly 50 trillion won ($34 billion) in corporate bonds mature in the first half of next year —...

Corporate bonds Korea Inc. to face refunding risks with record corporate bond maturities

South Korean companies are expected to face refunding risks thanks to record corporate bond maturities in the first half of 2025, as fundraising con...

Central bank S.Korea’s c.bank chief sees limited impact of political turmoil on economy

South Korea’s central bank chief said on Wednesday the impact of political turmoil caused by martial law on Asia’s fourth-largest econom...

Business & Politics South Korea’s sovereign credit rating stable: S&P, Moody's, Fitch

South Korea’s sovereign ratings remain stable despite the political turmoil caused by the short-lived martial law declaration of President Yoo...

Automobiles Korea’s commercial vehicle sales tumble on economic slowdown

South Korea’s commercial vehicle sales are plunging on sluggish domestic demand amid a slowdown in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.Local s...

Economy Opposition-controlled Korean Parliament passes slashed $470 bn budget

South Korea's opposition-controlled National Assembly on Tuesday passed a government budget bill for 2025, slashed from the government's proposal am...

Economy South Korea’s economic system remains resilient: finance minister

The South Korean economy is solid, and the government will take “bold and swift’’ actions if needed to stabilize Asia’s four...

Korean startups Asan Nanum to offer Silicon Valley residence to Korean startups

The Asan Nanum Foundation, a South Korean startup accelerator program operator, said on Thursday it will open a residency space for Korean venture f...

Economy S&P downplays martial law impact on S.Korean economy

Global credit rating agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) said on Thursday "the introduction and swift revocation of martial law in South Korea ...

Real estate GIC to pick preferred bidder in $1.1 bn Seoul landmark building sale

Singapore’s GIC Private Ltd., the world’s sixth-largest sovereign wealth fund, is set to select a preferred bidder for the sale of a lan...

Real estate Korean funds offer rescue financing for global offices

South Korean institutional investors are offering rescue financing for overseas office buildings, which their local peers have yet to exit, as they ...