digital currency

K-pop K-pop stocks surge as China set to loosen cultural ban after 9 years

Shares in South Korea’s leading entertainment companies are rallying amid growing signs that China will likely lift its longstanding ban on Ko...

Earnings Kia maintains double-digit margin in Q1 with record revenue

Kia Corp., South Korea’s second-largest automaker, extended its double-digit profit margin streak to a 10th consecutive quarter, posting recor...

Business & Politics Seoul, Washington agree on July tariff deal framework in '2+2' trade talks

WASHINGTON, D.C. – South Korea and the US have agreed to work together to craft a comprehensive tariff-liberalization package by July 8, marki...

Corporate strategy Samsung seeks tech alliance with top US universities for robotics, AI, 6G

In an ambitious bid to shape the future of technology, Samsung Electronics Co. is launching a sweeping initiative to collaborate with elite North Am...

Foreign exchange S.Korea plans $1.2 bn forex bond issue after presidential election

South Korea plans to issue up to $1.2 billion in foreign exchange stabilization bonds as early as June, in what would mark the new administration&rs...

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...

Korean stock market South Korean stocks, currency dive amid deeper US tariff turmoil

The South Korean stock market logged its biggest daily loss of more than 5% in eight months on Monday, joining its Asian peers bruised by panic sell...

Asset management Strong momentum in non-US markets, digital real estate: Principal AM CEO

It is time to shift focus toward non-US markets after years of stellar performance of US assets driven by the robust world’s No. 1 economy, sa...

Cryptocurrencies BlackRock sees digital assets at critical turning point

Digital assets are poised for robust structural growth – not just as investment vehicles but as strategic assets – fueled by growing ins...

Real estate Shinhan REITs picked as sole bidder for BNK Digital Tower

Shinhan REITs Management is expected to acquire BNK Digital Tower, an office building in the affluent neighborhood of Gangnam in southern Seoul, aft...

Webtoons Naver’s Webtoon hints at ad business expansion in 2025

Webtoon Entertainment Inc., the Nasdaq-listed storytelling platform operator under South Korea’s internet giant Naver Corp., is set to expand ...

Earnings Korean financial holding firms log record-high profits in 2024

South Korea’s top four financial holding firms are estimated to have posted their highest-ever profits in 2024, driven by hefty interest incom...

Earnings Kia hits record 2024 sales; profit margins highest among global automakers

South Korea’s second-largest automaker Kia Corp. on Friday posted its highest-ever annual sales, operating profit and profit margins in 2024, ...

Shipping & Shipbuilding HD KSOE wins $2.6 bn order for 12 container ships

South Korea’s largest shipbuilder HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. (HD KSOE) said on Thursday it got 3.716 trillion won ...

Deals IMM PE exits Woori Financial with double-digit return

IMM Private Equity has divested its remaining 1.38% stake in Woori Financial Group for 166.4 billion won ($115 million), exiting the South Korean fi...

Webtoons Piccoma tops consumer spending ranking in Japan

Kakao Piccoma, a Japanese digital comics app subsidiary of South Korean mobile giant Kakao Corp., topped the consumer spending ranking in the Japane...

Cryptocurrencies Korea seeks tighter control over digital coins, mulls mandatory disclosures

South Korea plans to tighten its controls over cryptocurrency trade in the country by mandating information disclosures for listed virtual assets an...

Mergers & Acquisitions Corstone, Q Capital in talks with foreign investors to sell K-chicken chain

Seoul-based private equity firms Corstone Asia and Q Capital Partners are in talks with foreign investors to sell a South Korean fried chicken chain...

Foreign exchange NPS initiates strategic currency hedging to unleash up to $48.2 billion

The National Pension Service (NPS), South Korea’s state-run pension fund and the country’s largest institutional investor, is set to beg...

Foreign exchange Global investment banks see Korean won staying weak in 2025

The South Korean won is forecast to hover in the mid-1,400s level against the dollar through the third quarter of 2025, according to global investme...

Korean startups Imagoworks raises $15.6 mn in Series C funding

Imagoworks, South Korea's AI-based digital dental service startup, said on Tuesday it raised 23 billion won ($15.6 million) in Series C funding.Foun...

Batteries LG Energy, Qualcomm to commercialize BMS solution

South Korea's LG Energy Solution Ltd. said on Monday it partnered with Qualcomm Technologies to commercialize its new system-on-chip (SoC)-based bat...

Foreign exchange Koreans' yen savings fall on profit-taking despite BOJ rate hike views

Yen-denominated deposits in South Korea fell in November, dragging down overall foreign-currency savings, as investors took profits from the Japanes...

Banking & Finance Hanwha's financial companies open AI center in San Franciso

South Korea’s seventh-largest conglomerate’s financial companies have opened a joint artificial intelligence center in San Francisco, a ...

Economy S.Korea’s inflation stays at 1% level for 3rd straight month

South Korea’s consumer prices remained steady at the 1% level for the third straight month in November thanks to a drop in oil prices. But eco...

Central bank BOK to keep rate at 3.25% in Nov despite dim GDP outlook: survey

South Korea’s central bank is expected to freeze its policy rate at 3.25% during its last monetary policy meeting of the year to prevent any f...

Tech, Media & Telecom Naver, Saudi Arabia's NHC to build JV

South Korea’s Naver Corp. said on Monday it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Saudi Arabia’s National Housing Company (NHC...

Tech, Media & Telecom Team Naver unveils digital twin platform in Saudi Arabia

Naver Cloud, the cloud subsidiary of South Korean online giant Naver Corp., said on Friday that Team Naver participated in the Cityscape Global 2024...

Cryptocurrencies Korea’s crypto exchanges ride bitcoin rally on Trump optimism

South Korea’s crypto exchanges are enjoying a global boom in virtual currencies, including bitcoin, as US President-elect Donald Trump is expe...

Tech, Media & Telecom SK C&C unveils digital SHE consulting service

South Korea's SK C&C said on Thursday that it launched its Digital SHE Consulting Service,  the artificial intelligence (AI) platform tha...