lending to households

Earnings Shinhan Financial’s overseas business blooms, on track for record earnings

Shinhan Financial Group Co., South Korea’s leading financial holding company, is poised to surpass 1 trillion won ($692 million) in annual net...

Energy Korea’s OCI, Israel’s Arava Power to jointly build solar cell plant in Texas

OCI Energy Co., a US subsidiary of South Korea’s OCI Holdings Co., and Israel’s Arava Power will jointly build a solar cell power plant ...

Alternative investments Korean pension funds raise bets on infrastructure, global stocks

South Korean pension funds are raising their bets on infrastructure and global stocks, while reducing exposure to the domestic stock market on a dow...

Retail China's Miniso re-enters S.Korea

Miniso, a household goods store known as "the Chinese version of Daiso", has re-entered South Korea after three years.According to the retail indust...

Economy Korea’s household debt sees ‘balloon effect’ as rules tightened in Seoul

South Korea’s household lending market is witnessing a balloon effect as tighter government lending rules for Seoul and its surrounding metrop...

Pension funds NPS commits $436 mn to Koramco, Hana Alternative for real estate lending

The National Pension Service (NPS), South Korea’s largest institutional investor, has selected Koramco Asset Management Co. and Hana Alternati...

Real estate Korea’s financial exposure to real estate nearly doubles in 10 years

South Korea’s financial exposure to real estate has nearly doubled over the past decade, with lending to households making up about half. The ...

Electronics Samsung tops US consumer TV satisfaction study

Samsung Electronics Co. ranked as the top TV brand for consumer satisfaction in the US, according to the 2024 American Customer Satisfaction Index (...

Banking & Finance Kookmin to tighten loan limits to cool housing market

Kookmin Bank, South Korea’s largest lender under KB Financial Group, will tighten lending to curb mortgage loan growth in line with the govern...

Central bank BOK signals autumn rate cut as inflation, economic growth slow

South Korea’s central bank is likely to reduce interest rates in the next three months as inflation is expected to ease amid a slowdown in Asi...

Economy Korea’s household debt hits record high on mortage loans

South Korea’s household debt hit a record high in the second quarter as the domestic housing market started to recover and more consumers rush...

Economy S.Korea’s July household debt grows at fastest pace in over 3 years

South Korea’s household debt is expanding at the fastest pace in over three years, clouding growth in Asia’s fourth-largest economy and ...

Banking & Finance Mirae Asset's India Billion Consumer ETF surpasses $150 mn in net assets

South Korea's Mirae Asset Global Investments said on Thursday that the net assets of its TIGER India Billion Consumer ETF surpassed 200 billion wo...

Private debt Direct lending, a core allocation for investors: M&G Investments

Private credit continues to lure investors, not least within one of the largest areas of private credit, direct lending. Providing reliable income s...

Sovereign wealth funds KIC eyes direct lending with high return potential: CEO

Sovereign wealth fund Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) seeks opportunities in direct lending for companies that are not cyclically sensitive and g...

Private debt M&A rebound will drive private credit volume increase: Golub Capital

As the Federal Reserve signaled delays in rate cuts after meeting earlier this month, more investors have adopted for a wait-and-see attitude. Those...

Private equity Affinity extends tender offer for food container maker Lock&Lock

Hong Kong-based Affinity Equity Partners is set to extend its tender offer for South Korean food container maker Lock&Lock Co. shares, as the pr...

Economy Korea’s household debt growth at 5-month high on mortgages

South Korea’s household lending growth hit a five-month high in April as mortgage loans increased amid signs of a recovery in the property mar...

Economy Korea eyes $1.5 bn injection in KDB to boost chip, battery sectors

South Korea may inject some 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) into Korea Development Bank (KDB) by the end of this month to support the state-run bank's...

Tech, Media & Telecom S.Korean government seeks to lower streaming service rates

The South Korean government is seeking to lower the country’s video streaming service, or over-the-top (OTT) media service, rates as part of i...

Private debt Korean LPs stick to private debt amid market uncertainties

South Korean limited partners will tap private debt as their most preferred asset class in 2024 to secure stable income amid geopolitical conflicts an...

Fashion The North Face supplier Youngone lends $177 mn to Scott

Youngone Corp., a South Korean clothing manufacturer to global outdoor brands like The North Face and Patagonia, said on Thursday it has decided to ...

Central bank South Koreans expect inflation to slow, relief to BOK’s hawkish stance

South Koreans expect inflation to slow over the next 12 months, providing relief to the central bank’s hawkish stance that policy rates should...

Energy SK Group to buy 537 GWh green power from SK E&S

South Korea’s second-largest conglomerate SK Group is accelerating its net zero transition with its affiliates agreeing to buy 537 gigawatts h...

Retail Japanese furniture brand Nitori to open first store in Korea

Nitori Co., dubbed Japan's IKEA, is slated to open its first store in South Korea next week, accelerating its Asia-centered expansion push, while su...

Private debt Korea Investment raises $400 mn to expand US assets

Seoul-based brokerage firm Korea Investment & Securities Co. (KIS) has raised $400 million in new bonds to strengthen its investments in the US ...

Energy HD Hyundai joins $14 mn offshore wind power project

HD Hyundai Electric Co., the electrical equipment and energy solution company under South Korea’s shipbuilding giant HD Hyundai Co., has joine...

Economy Korea’s household, business loans on upswing in September

South Korea’s household debt continued to rise for the sixth consecutive month in September despite stricter regulations on mortgages, while b...

Central bank BOK chief’s top mission: Soft landing for household debt

South Korea’s central bank chief on Thursday vowed to reduce household debt without causing a severe economic downturn as the Bank of Korea he...

Central bank BOK warns of household lending risk on growth, inequality

South Korea’s central bank warned that household lending in the country has leaped to the world’s third highest and could hurt long-term...