Business news
Business and industry signals from Korean wires.
Korea business brief: KOSPI holds 7,080 with a Chuseok-eve 'strong open, softer close' session
Segye Ilbo reports KOSPI rose 0.90% to 7,080.92 on Sept. 23 for a fourth straight gain, but gave back an early 1.94% advance as institutions bought and individuals sold ahead of the Chuseok holiday.
Korea business brief: Banks restart Starbucks co-marketing as boycott sentiment eases
Sisa Journal reports Shinhan Card, KB Bank, and Woori Card are relaunching Starbucks-linked cards and accounts after Tank Day controversy, with card payments rebounding to 116.1 billion won in August.
Korea business brief: President says he was briefed but cannot trace who decided on single-stock leveraged ETFs
Sisa Journal reports Lee Jae-myung told a Sept. 18 press conference he still cannot map how single-stock leveraged ETFs were approved, three months after a May 27 launch that shook KOSPI and retail accounts.
Korea business brief: NY stocks rally as tech leads — Nasdaq up 1.7%, Treasury yield dips below 5%
Women News reports that U.S. equities rose on Sept. 17 as falling Treasury yields and oil prices lifted Nvidia, Micron, and SK hynix ADRs, with the Nasdaq gaining 1.69%.
Korea business brief: U.S. 10-year Treasury yield crosses 5% — why Korea’s chip rally is wobbling
Sisa Journal explains how the U.S. 10-year Treasury hit 5.041% on Sept. 15, its highest since July 2007, and why Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are leading a KOSPI pullback.
Korea business brief: SPC heirs return to listed Samilp as unregistered executives amid losses and safety probes
Sisa Journal reports SPC Group third-generation owners Heo Jin-su and Heo Hee-su rejoined listed bakery unit Samilp after eight years as unregistered executives, while the company posts losses, dividend payouts continue, and disclosure and industrial-safety scrutiny mounts.
Korea business brief: OECD leading index tops 17-country field as semiconductor boom lifts CLI to five-year high
Segye Ilbo reports Korea's OECD Composite Leading Indicator hit 102.87 last month — first place among 17 published economies and the highest reading since May 2021 — even as month-on-month gains keep shrinking.
Korea business brief: Hanwha Aerospace lands €410M Chunmoo deal — Croatia becomes Europe's fourth buyer
Sisa Journal reports Hanwha Aerospace signed a ~640 billion won contract to supply 18 Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers to Croatia on Sep. 10 in Zagreb, with a new Korea–Croatia defense MOU alongside.
Korea business brief: Samsung Pyeongtaek housing-benefit probe targets 100-plus DS staff over 'wolse-kkang' claims
Sisa Journal reports Samsung Electronics is verifying housing subsidies for 100-plus Device Solutions workers at Pyeongtaek after anonymous posts alleged inflated rent and shrunken floor-area claims on lease contracts.
Korea business brief: Foreigners return with 2.2 trillion won into Samsung and SK hynix as KOSPI nears 7,000
Sisa Journal reports foreigners net bought 2.55 trillion won on Sept. 7, reversing last week's chip selling as Samsung rose 5.68% and SK hynix 8.26% while KOSPI gained 4.61% to 6,995.39.
Korea business brief: July current account hits $42.1B — record for the month on chip exports
Bank of Korea provisional data via Women News: July's $42.08 billion surplus is Korea's best July ever and the second-largest monthly print on record, even as travel flipped back to deficit.
Korea business brief: Seoul lifts youth jobs budget to 3.3 trillion won, targets first hires in AI and chips
Sisa Journal reports the 2027 budget adds 700 billion won to youth employment spending — the largest increase since 2021 — with new first-job programs for 160,000 young workers and expanded K-New Deal Academy training.
Korea business brief: SK hynix weighs Japan memory fab as Chey scans nationwide sites
SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won told Bloomberg SK hynix is reviewing a Japanese memory plant, citing power and water as siting priorities amid AI-driven demand and existing Kioxia ties.
Korea business brief: KOSPI slips back from the 7,000 line as rate fears and chip headwinds collide
Sisa Journal reports KOSPI opened down 2.58% on Aug. 31 and briefly fell 3.21% toward the 6,500 range after U.S. rate-hike odds jumped and semiconductor names sold off globally.
Korea business brief: Export-Import Bank sends 200 million won to Nepal flood relief
Segye Ilbo reports KEXIM donated 200 million won to the Korean Red Cross on Aug. 30 for Bagmati Province flood victims after Aug. 26 deluges — earmarked for shelters, supplies, and medical-food aid.
Korea business brief: Hyundai strike deal closes, but U.S. robots and capacity shift the production map
Sisa Journal reports Hyundai's union tentatively agreed on Aug. 25 after 60 strike hours and 55,000-plus lost units, while the group plans 500,000 more North American capacity and Atlas humanoid robots from 2028.
Korea business brief: Seoul sketches an 800 trillion won 'super budget' on chip and market tax windfalls
Sisa Journal reports the government is drafting next year's first-ever 800 trillion won-plus budget, with spending up more than 10% from 729.9 trillion won and tax receipts boosted by semiconductor profits and KOSPI gains.
Korea business brief: Nvidia posts $96.2B quarter, beating Wall Street by $4B
Sisa Journal reports Nvidia's fiscal Q2 revenue hit $96.22 billion (~133 trillion won), up 106% year on year, with data-center AI chips driving a 13th straight record quarter.
Korea business brief: SK hynix site visit and Honam chip cluster citizens committee launch
SK hynix executives inspected Gwangju Air Base for a Honam semiconductor complex while Jeonnam-Gwangju launched a cross-sector citizens committee to prep power, water, and talent before any investment decision.
Korea business brief: Samsung and SK hynix drag KOSPI 3% lower while Kosdaq rises
Segye reports Samsung fell 8.7% and SK hynix 3.4% on Aug. 24, pulling KOSPI to 6,696.96 as foreigners sold 3.7 trillion won while Kosdaq gained 1.42%.
Korea business brief: Dollar deposits and gold sales surge as stock turnover hits a 2026 low
Korea's top five banks logged record dollar-deposit balances and a near-tripling of gold-bar sales in August while KOSPI turnover fell to 0.56% — a flight to safety as volatility freezes equity trading.
Korea business brief: Anthropic targets $2T IPO that would top SpaceX record
Segye reports Anthropic is gauging a listing above $10B in proceeds at a $2 trillion valuation, with annualized revenue said to have jumped sevenfold in seven months.
Korea business brief: Samsung plans record shareholder return
Samsung's board approved a 90–110 trillion won 2026 return plan — how the three-year cash-flow policy calendars for overseas holders.
Korea business brief: Retail deposits jump 4 trillion won as credit margin tops 31 trillion
Investor standby cash at Korean brokerages hit 104.8 trillion won on August 18 while margin-loan balances crossed 31 trillion — a rebound that adds buying power but also forced-liquidation risk if the rally fades.
Korea business brief: KOSPI breaks 6500 at the open as sell sidecar fires
Sisa Journal's breaking alert on August 19 says KOSPI plunged in the 5% range right after the open, breaching the 6500 line and triggering Korea's sell-side sidecar.
Korea business brief: KOSPI leaps past 7200 on 1.6 trillion won foreign buying
Foreign investors net bought 1.631 trillion won by mid-morning August 18 as KOSPI hit 7216.62 intraday — Samsung and SK hynix led on U.S. chip strength while retail sold 1.994 trillion won.
Korea business brief: Employers draw line on factory deals and bonus talks
The Korea Employers Federation told Seoul and lawmakers to keep operating-profit bonuses and new chip-factory decisions out of collective bargaining, and to add mega-zone labor flexibility.
Korea business brief: Yuanta retail director tops H1 broker pay at 22.7 billion won
FSS disclosures show a Yuanta Securities retail executive earned 22.72 billion won in the first half of 2026 — about 24× the president's pay — as commission-linked bonuses surge.
Korea business brief: Samsung and SK hynix cash piles jump 117 trillion won
Seoul Economic Daily: second-quarter cash at Samsung and SK hynix surged on the memory boom — what that means for supply-chain and FX watches, without a buy/sell call.
Korea business brief: SK hynix faces pushback on Solidigm Nasdaq path
Governance voices warn a Solidigm IPO could deepen a multi-tier listing chain — what Korea-chip watchers should re-check before Sept. 4.
Korea business brief: FSC lifts household-loan growth target to 3%
Aug 13 financial package expands PF guarantees and raises the household debt growth cap from 1.5% to 3% — what end-users and Korea-watching lenders should re-check.
Korea business brief: KMCC finds Google and Apple broke in-app payment rules
Korea's media watchdog concluded Google and Apple abused app-store dominance on payment rules — sanctions TBD, with watches for publishers and Korea-facing SaaS.
Korea business brief: steel, bio and materials rally as chip money rotates
KRX steel rose ~19% in a month while semiconductor ETFs fell 20%+ — Daishin says Samsung and SK hynix weight eased to 51.16% from 53.2%.
Korea business brief: Lee orders Gwangju Air Base cleared for a chip hub by 2028
President Lee told the Defense Ministry to move fighter operations out of Gwangju Air Base to make room for a semiconductor complex, part of a four-region chip and AI buildout benchmarked against TSMC's Kumamoto speed.
Korea business brief: power demand hits 95.321 GW in heat wave
KPX logs the year’s peak load with 8.2 GW reserves — what factories, hotels, and Korea-touching ops should watch while highs stay near 35 C.
Korea business brief: liquor shipments down 17% — RTD, light soju, and exports
Herald maps a decade of falling domestic liquor volume, RTD and low-ABV soju on convenience shelves, and HiteJinro–Lotte–OB export bets.
Korea business brief: US polysilicon tariff narrows China’s price edge — for now
Times maps Trump’s 15% polysilicon-derivative tariff and MIPs — Hanwha and OCI gain room vs China, while Dec. 4 and US onshoring set the real clock.
Korea business brief: June current account hits record $49.73B on chips
Bank of Korea data via Yonhap: June’s current account surplus set a new high as monthly exports first cleared $100 billion — what that split means for won and supply watches.
Korea business brief: Coupang H1 loss hits $798 million after breach fines
Coupang booked a record first-half operating loss of $798 million as data-breach fines and compensation hit — what overseas shoppers and sellers should re-check.
Korea business brief: leveraged ETF turnover falls under 1 trillion won
Daily volume in 16 single-stock leveraged ETFs slipped to 919.8 billion won after cash-deposit curbs — what Korea-account traders should re-check.
Korea business brief: Samsung's zHBM stacks memory on AI chips
Samsung showed a zHBM concept at FMS 2026 claiming up to 8x HBM5 performance — what overseas buyers and chip watchers should treat as demo, not shelf stock.
Korea business brief: Seoul will review CPTPP accession in H2
Industry Minister Kim told President Lee Korea will study joining CPTPP to open ASEAN and Mexico channels — what exporters and ag-watchers should track, not assume.
Korea business brief: FTC clears KORAIL–SR merger for September rail unify
Korea's Fair Trade Commission approved KORAIL absorbing SR, ending the KTX/SRT split with a September target, KORAIL+ app, and promised 10% KTX fare cuts — booking watches for travelers.
Korea business brief: July exports near a record on chip heat
July outbound shipments hit $98.89 billion — second-highest ever — as semiconductors alone cleared $41 billion. What that mix means for buyers and Korea-exposed logistics.
Korea business brief: Amorepacific and LG H&H pivot hard to North America
Q2 profits jumped for Korea's beauty giants as North America outran China for LG H&H. Shelf and travel-retail assumptions need an update.
Korea business brief: Argentine crude imports set for 2027
After Lee–Milei talks, Seoul plans regular Argentine oil next year — 880,000-barrel trials by August, plus lithium MOU and double-tax deal.
Korea business brief: KOSPI rockets record 17.91% on chip rebound
Benchmark closes 6,595.45 after a +1,001.89-point day — foreign net buy ₩7.22T, SK hynix +29.95%, Samsung +26.81% — what to watch next.
Korea business brief: ₩30M cash rule for leveraged ETFs starts today
From July 31, new single-stock leveraged ETF buys need ₩30M cash — stocks/ETFs/bonds no longer count as deposit collateral.
Korea business brief: Samsung Q2 smash; second Taylor fab this year
Record ₩89.5T operating profit and a 2030-target second Texas foundry — what chip, phone, and U.S. fab watchers should update.
Korea business brief: Fed holds rates; Korea–U.S. gap stays near 1pp
A hawkish 9-3 Fed pause at 3.5–3.75% keeps Korea’s 2.75% BOK rate about 1pp below the U.S. band — what remittance and FX desks should update.
Korea business brief: regulators eye 20% cap on leveraged ETFs
Authorities consider capping single-stock leveraged ETFs at 20% of retail portfolios after crash week — plus Friday’s 30 million won deposit hike.
Korea business brief: BOK chief keeps hike stance into August
Gov. Shin says rate-hike stance remains reasonable; markets watch Aug. 27 meeting after July rise to 2.75%.
Korea business brief: KOSPI's second-day plunge below 6,000
After Black Tuesday, KOSPI closed 5,663.24 (-5.98%) as retail flipped to selling and both boards hit circuit breakers again.
Korea business brief: SK hynix record profit, heavy capex still on
Record 60.54 trillion won Q2 operating profit still missed consensus as shares fell with the market.
Korea business brief: Black Tuesday KOSPI crash
KOSPI's 10.84% fall put chip and AI-investment skepticism at the center of a Korea-touching portfolio stress test.
Korea business brief: Lee-Lula reopen Mercosur path
Korea-Brazil working group aims to announce Mercosur talks restart in December
Korea business brief: $19.8b Texas gas power as first US deal
An Encinal, Texas gas-power proposal tests Korea's strategic US investment framework before any final approval.
Korea business brief: Coupang and Woori test won stablecoin settlement
A Coupang Eats pilot moves restaurant payouts in real time on won-backed tokens — what merchants and Korea-touching fintech should watch before rules land.
Korea business brief: HD Hyundai Samho wins Tacoma crane order under MASGA
Four Port of Tacoma cranes for WUT — a concrete MASGA hardware deal, not another MOU headline.
Korea business brief: MASGA hub opens in Washington with a results test
KUSPC launches with a $13M budget through 2028 — Lutnick says judge capital, yards, workers, and ships, not cocktail parties.
Korea business brief: won posts July's best major-currency rebound
The won gained 6.24% in July after a 17-year real-value low — what changes for remittances, trips, and Korea-priced bills.
Korea business brief: Naver outlines conditional $10B AI factory package
Naver, Nvidia, and Brookfield propose a $10 billion path to grow Sejong AI compute from 55 MW to 200 MW by 2028 — and what remains conditional.
Korea business brief: $950B chip supply plans emerge from AI summit
Seoul says Korean and U.S. tech firms plan five-year memory cooperation worth $950 billion — what the headline does and does not commit.
Korea business brief: Kospi drops 5.72% as Middle East risk hits Seoul
Seoul's benchmark sank nearly 6% on July 24 as Middle East tension and chip-cycle jitters hit risk appetite — what foreign and retail flows signaled.
Korea business brief: U.S. sets 12.5% forced-labor tariffs — Seoul cites 15% cap
Washington finalized Section 301 forced-labor duties covering Korea at 12.5%, while Seoul says the U.S. reaffirmed the bilateral 15% tariff ceiling.
Korea business brief: Q2 GDP up 0.6% as chips beat BOK and market calls
Korea Times: advance BOK data show 0.6% quarterly growth versus a 0.3% market median and the bank's own 0.2% forecast - exports lead, construction slips.
Korea business brief: Upstage ships Solar Open 2 for agent work, not chat
Korea Times: Upstage releases a 250B MoE open-weight model (15B active) under a Korea sovereign-AI project - 1M context, commercial license, Daum rollout plans.
Korea business brief: U.S. probes Korean yards after Navy RFI - then Congress tours
Korea Herald and Korea Times tracked Pentagon RFIs to Hanwha and HD Hyundai; Yonhap sources say House defense appropriators then walked Geoje and Ulsan yards in July.
Korea business brief: Samsung Heavy teams with Sargent & Lundy on floating SMRs
An MOU for a standardized floating small modular reactor platform — shipyard EPC meets U.S. nuclear engineering.
Korea business brief: government OKs Yeosu petrochemical restructuring
Lotte NCC spin-merge, DL and Hanwha integration, ₩800bn private injection and ₩700bn+ state support — second complex after Daesan.