South Korea Finance & Banking

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

BYD Launches Sealion 6 DM-i Plug-in Hybrid in Korea at Mid-30 Million Won

BYD launched the Sealion 6 DM-i plug-in hybrid in Korea in the mid-30 million won range, offering up to 70 km of EV range and premium driver-assistance…...

Published 2026.08.26. 10:06:43 |

Korea to Cover Full Tuition at Regional National Universities

Korea plans to fully fund tuition at regional national universities and create an internship-semester system to draw talent under its balanced…...

Published 2026.08.26. 10:00:05 |

Kakao Revives Jeju Village as 19 Shops Rally Around Sehwa-ri

A Jeju local company, Kakao Family, is reviving Sehwa-ri village through its cacao brand Cocoha, with 19 shops joining a funding campaign....

Published 2026.08.26. 10:00:05 |

Samsung Becomes Key Partner for Nvidia's Vera Rubin, Eyes Foundry Turnaround

Samsung supplies HBM4 and produces Nvidia's Grok3 chip at over 80% yield, marking a turnaround for its loss-making foundry business....

Published 2026.08.26. 10:00:05 |

LIG D&A, Korea Aerospace University Team Up on Defense Tech

LIG D&A and Korea Aerospace University signed an agreement to cooperate on aerospace and defense technology, including joint research and training…...

Published 2026.08.26. 09:59:43 |

Chinese Tech Firms Build In-House AI Models to Leverage Their Own Data

Chinese firms including Xiaohongshu, Meituan and Trip.com are building in-house AI models to leverage their own data, betting the approach pays off lo...

Published 2026.08.26. 09:57:41 |

SK Innovation Slides 15% After Move to Absorb Unit

SK Innovation shares fell nearly 15% after the company decided to absorb subsidiary SKIET, on dilution and financial-burden concerns....

Published 2026.08.26. 09:55:05 |

POSCO International Launches e-B/L Consortium to Digitize Trade

POSCO International launched an e-B/L consortium with ZIM, Hana Bank and others to digitize bills of lading and speed up trade document handling....

Published 2026.08.26. 09:54:43 |

GS25 Expands Next-Day Delivery Nationwide

GS25 has expanded its Tomorrow Delivery service nationwide, tripling metro-area drop-off points to about 9,500 stores and offering a 500-won discount....

Published 2026.08.26. 09:51:49 |

SK Intelix Wins IR52 Jang Young-sil Award for Wellness Robot NAMUHX

SK Intelix said its wellness robot NAMUHX won the IR52 Jang Young-sil Award for its AI and robotics technology....

Published 2026.08.26. 09:50:37 |

Chung Mong-koo Foundation Names 31 Undergraduate Scholars From Vietnam, Indonesia

The Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation selected 31 undergraduate scholars from Vietnam and Indonesia and eight foreign Korean-language instructor...

Published 2026.08.26. 09:39:02 |

Lotte Department Store Rolls Out AI to Scout New Brands

Lotte Department Store has deployed an in-house AI system, Brand AI, to analyze more than 4,000 brands and guide merchandising decisions....

Published 2026.08.26. 09:38:27 |

Jinhaksa Catch Launches AI Skills Assessment for Job Seekers

Jinhaksa Catch launched the CATCH-UP AX test, assessing how well job seekers can apply AI to real work through lectures, hands-on tests and reports....

Published 2026.08.26. 09:30:58 |

Korean Aircraft Parts Makers Court Chinese Buyers in Tianjin

KOTRA held an aircraft parts export meeting in Tianjin, where 12 Korean firms met 11 Chinese buyers to expand exports to China's growing aviation mark...

Published 2026.08.26. 09:28:00 |

LS Electric, GE Vernova Form HVDC Venture for Next-Generation Grids

LS ELECTRIC and GE Vernova signed a deal to form Grid X Technology, a joint venture developing voltage-source HVDC technology for next-generation powe...

Published 2026.08.26. 09:24:40 |

K-Beauty Leader APR Still Undervalued, With 17.3% Upside

Korea Investment & Securities set a 520,000-won target price for K-beauty firm APR, citing 17.3% upside as North American and European sales surge....

Published 2026.08.26. 09:17:47 |

Heat Wave Fuels Demand for Energy-Saving Paints in Korea

Korea's heat-reflective paint market is heating up as SP Chemical expands its "Cool & Save" line for data centers and plants amid a record heat wave....

Published 2026.08.26. 08:59:14 |

Samsung Falls Despite Record Payout; Mirae Sets 370,000-Won Target

Mirae Asset Securities set a 370,000-won target on Samsung Electronics, seeing 44% upside, and tied the stock's slide to macro uncertainty....

Published 2026.08.26. 08:37:56 |

Samsung Foundry Triples Grok3 Chip Yield, Proving 4nm Edge

Samsung Foundry's yield on Nvidia's Grok3 chip has tripled to above 80%, marking a shift into profitable leading-edge production at its 4nm process....

Published 2026.08.26. 07:55:58 |

Protein Shakes Reborn as Cafe Drinks Fuel Korean Startup's $73M Sales

Flymeal turned protein shakes into cafe-style drinks for young women, driving F&L Corporation toward its first 100 billion won in annual sales....

Published 2026.08.26. 07:00:05 |

Hyundai Launches Ioniq V in China at Bargain $17,700

Hyundai priced its China-only Ioniq V electric sedan at 119,900 yuan, more than 10 million won below rivals like BYD and Zeekr, as it pushes to revive...

Published 2026.08.26. 06:30:05 |

Daegu's No. 3 Builder Taewang E&C Files for Court Receivership

More than 2,500 Korean construction firms closed through July, up 25% from a year earlier, as Daegu's No....

Published 2026.08.26. 06:24:05 |

E-mart Bets on Stores, Quick Delivery and Revamps to Fight Online Rivals

E-mart is opening a new store, expanding quick commerce to all 132 stores and revamping outlets to strengthen its offline business against online riva...

Published 2026.08.26. 06:15:05 |

IBK to Write Off $88 Million in Overdue Debt, Freeing 5,000 Borrowers

IBK will write off 120 billion won in long-overdue debt by year-end, freeing about 5,000 vulnerable borrowers from collection....

Published 2026.08.26. 06:05:05 |

Bodyfriend's Generative AI Massage Wins Korean Standards Certification

Bodyfriend's generative AI massage technology became the first in the industry to win AI+ certification from the Korean Standards Association....

Published 2026.08.26. 06:00:05 |

Bitcoin Tops $80,000 on U.S. Treasury's 'Treasury Twist'

Bitcoin topped $80,000 for the first time since May as the U.S. Treasury moved to lower long-term yields and expand the dollar stablecoin market....

Published 2026.08.26. 06:00:05 |

1.08 Million Koreans in Early 60s Have No Pension and No Job

More than 1 million South Koreans aged 60 to 64 receive no pension and hold no registered job, government data showed, as the gap between retirement a...

Published 2026.08.26. 06:00:05 |

Kleannara Takes Pet Brand Popomong Global at Asia's Largest Pet Fair

Kleannara's pet brand Popomong joined Pet Fair Asia in Shanghai to expand its global network and find new export channels....

Published 2026.08.26. 06:00:05 |

KRWQ Halts Gift Card Purchases 5 Days After Launch Over Money-Laundering Fears

A service for buying Korean gift cards with the KRWQ won-pegged stablecoin was suspended five days after launch amid money-laundering concerns....

Published 2026.08.26. 05:50:05 |

Argentina Sees Korea as Strategic Partner Beyond Lithium

Argentina's Congress mining committee chair called Korea a strategic partner, hoping cooperation with POSCO expands beyond lithium into manufacturing....

Published 2026.08.26. 05:30:05 |

Landlords Seek One-Year Tenants as Seoul Move-In Deadlines Near

One-year jeonse leases have appeared at Seoul's Olympic Park Foreon as a three-year grace period on a residency rule nears its 2026 expiry....

Published 2026.08.26. 05:28:05 |

Starbucks $220 Fireworks Seats in Seoul Sell Out in 30 Seconds

Starbucks seat packages priced up to 300,000 won for Seoul's fireworks festival sold out in 30 seconds, underscoring fierce demand for prime Han River...

Published 2026.08.25. 23:26:18 |

Kia Reaches Wage Deal Without Strike for Sixth Straight Year

Kia reached a tentative 2026 wage deal without a strike for a sixth straight year, including a 100,000 won base pay rise....

Published 2026.08.25. 21:32:14 |

Coway Speeds Up B2B Push With Custom Products and Installation

Coway is expanding corporate clients with B2B solutions spanning product recommendations, custom installation and after-sales care, winning hotel and…...

Published 2026.08.25. 18:40:00 |

School Gyms Open Nights and Weekends Get AI Safety System

S-1 is piloting an AI and IoT school safety solution at three schools, automating gym access, lighting and intrusion response....

Published 2026.08.25. 18:38:58 |

Argentine Lawmaker Sees Korea Ties Reaching Beyond Critical Minerals

Argentine mining committee chair Maria Fernanda Avila called Korea a special strategic partner and urged cooperation beyond lithium into manufacturing...

Published 2026.08.25. 18:25:20 |

POSCO Chairman's Tech Focus Drives 16-Year Lithium Push

POSCO Holdings' Argentina lithium business took root under Chairman Chang In-hwa, who led brine extraction research from 2010 and opened commercial…...

Published 2026.08.25. 18:24:16 |

Samsung Card Teams With Highway Operator on Data-Based Tourism Push

Samsung Card signed a data-based MOU with Korea Expressway Corporation to manage festival crowds and boost regional tourism....

Published 2026.08.25. 18:22:18 |

Coupang Takes Legal Action Over Antitrust Regulator's Surprise Inspection

Coupang has filed suit against Korea's Fair Trade Commission, saying the regulator skipped a required seven-day notice before inspecting its headquart...

Published 2026.08.25. 18:20:07 |

Bitcoin Tops $80,000 on Hopes for U.S. "Treasury Twist"

Bitcoin topped $80,000 for the first time in three months as the U.S. Treasury pursued stablecoin growth and lower long-term yields....

Published 2026.08.25. 18:07:31 |

Tighter Rules Fail to Curb ETF Price Distortions in Korea

Korea tightened ETF tracking gap rules, but 86 disclosures were filed in four days and 73% of liquidity providers were graded C in the second quarter....

Published 2026.08.25. 18:07:18 |

Three-Year Grace Period on Live-In Rules Nears First Deadline

Three-year grace periods on live-in rules for price-capped homes start expiring next year, with Olympic Park Forreon's 4,786 units the biggest test....

Published 2026.08.25. 18:06:26 |

2,530 Builders Shut Down This Year as Regional Firms Run Dry

A total of 2,530 Korean construction firms closed through July, up 25% from a year earlier, with six of every 10 based outside the Seoul area....

Published 2026.08.25. 18:05:34 |

Cacao Aroma Revives Emptying Jeju Village of Sehwa-ri

Cacao Family's Cocoha brand has turned Sehwa-ri, a small village on eastern Jeju, into a destination built on imported Guatemalan cacao....

Published 2026.08.25. 18:03:56 |

Korea Allows Outside Fruit, Liquor at Funeral Halls

Korea's Fair Trade Commission revised its standard funeral hall contract to allow outside uncooked food and bar wreath disposal without family consent...

Published 2026.08.25. 18:02:27 |

Short Sellers Target Samsung Electronics Despite Buyback Plan

Short selling reached 8.81% of Samsung Electronics turnover on the first day of its buyback, as the KOSPI short-selling share rose to 5.20% in August....

Published 2026.08.25. 17:58:17 |

Lotte Members Teams With UnionPay on Global Payments, Membership

Lotte Members signed an agreement with UnionPay International to link L.Point membership with UnionPay payments across 183 countries....

Published 2026.08.25. 17:56:22 |

Harbor Capital Launches Five ETFs Tracking AI Lab Ecosystems

Harbor Capital launched five AI lab ecosystem ETFs built around OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, Meta and Google DeepMind, with SK hynix in four of them....

Published 2026.08.25. 17:56:10 |

K-Culture's Next Task: Designing Experience Recipes

Global consumers are moving beyond buying Korean products to living the routines around them, and companies must now design the experience....

Published 2026.08.25. 17:51:41 |

KEPCO Gets First Cash Injection in 15 Years as Debt Hits 211 Trillion Won

Korea will inject capital into KEPCO for the first time in 15 years as the utility faces 210.7 trillion won in debt and 80 trillion won in grid invest...

Published 2026.08.25. 17:48:50 | Updated 2026.08.25. 18:44:53 |

Hyundai Motor Ends Summer Strife With Wage Deal After 111 Days

Hyundai Motor and its union reached a tentative wage deal after 111 days, raising base pay by 100,000 won and ending a strike that halted production....

Published 2026.08.25. 17:48:19 |

Former Trade Official Kim Jung-il Named KCCI Vice Chairman

Kim Jung-il, an SK hynix vice president and former trade official, has been named standing vice chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry...

Published 2026.08.25. 17:45:33 |

Samsung Steps Up as Nvidia Ally in Chips, Foundry

Samsung has begun mass-producing Nvidia's Grok3 chip and is expanding HBM4 supply for Rubin GPUs, deepening its alliance across foundry and memory....

Published 2026.08.25. 17:44:22 |

Korea to Inject Capital Into KEPCO to Power AI, Chip Push

Korea will inject capital into KEPCO and the Korea Water Resources Corporation to secure power and water for its semiconductor and AI mega-projects....

Published 2026.08.25. 17:41:23 |

SK Innovation to Absorb Battery Separator Unit SKIET

SK Innovation will absorb its separator unit SKIET, citing a slowing EV market and Chinese price pressure, with merger shares to list in January....

Published 2026.08.25. 17:28:33 |

Aju Industrial Wins Certification for Heat- and Rain-Resistant Concrete

Aju Industrial won certification for a concrete technology that withstands both heat and rain, co-developed with Halla Encom, Asia Cement and Halla Ce...

Published 2026.08.25. 17:24:00 |

E-Mart to Expand Quick Commerce to All Stores in Offline Push

E-Mart will open a new store in Chungcheong this year, likely in Cheongju, and expand quick commerce delivery to all 132 outlets....

Published 2026.08.25. 17:17:41 |

Korea Ministry Meets Homeplus Suppliers to Discuss Recovery

Korea's SME ministry met Homeplus suppliers and in-store tenants to hear their difficulties and discuss ways to normalize operations after the retaile...

Published 2026.08.25. 16:55:05 |

Hana Bank Offers 5% Savings Rate With Shopping Perks in CJ ONE Event

Hana Bank's CJ ONE savings account offers up to 5% annual interest plus Olive Young coupons, CJ ONE points and coffee coupons through October 31....

Published 2026.08.25. 16:47:37 |

Korea to Let AI Agents Seek Rate Cuts for Consumers Under Mydata Overhaul

South Korea's FSC unveiled a Mydata overhaul letting AI agents seek rate cuts, restructure debt and apply for policy funds on customers' behalf....

Published 2026.08.25. 16:46:47 |

IBK Bank to Write Off 120 Billion Won in Overdue Loans

Industrial Bank of Korea will write off 120 billion won in long-overdue loans this year, offering debt relief to about 5,000 vulnerable borrowers....

Published 2026.08.25. 16:46:25 | Updated 2026.08.25. 19:01:39 |

Hanmi Rerated on $2.4 Billion Genentech Deal, More Licensing Seen

Hanmi Pharmaceutical licensed its obesity drug HM17321 to Roche's Genentech for up to 3.2 trillion won, prompting Mirae Asset Securities to raise its…...

Published 2026.08.25. 16:45:23 |

Ulsan Oil Product Exports Hit $17.3 Billion as Prices Surge

Ulsan oil product exports rose 28% to $17.3 billion in January-July 2026 as prices surged 48%, with jet fuel overtaking gasoline to rank second....

Published 2026.08.25. 16:43:59 |

Korean Hydrogel Masks Sell Out Abroad as Supply Lags Demand

Korean hydrogel mask sheets are selling out abroad as exports jump nearly 26% this year, with supply struggling to keep pace with North American deman...

Published 2026.08.25. 16:42:16 |

Big Four Banks' Credit to Top Conglomerates Jumps 13%

Credit from Korea's four largest financial groups to six major conglomerates rose 12.9% to 109.7 trillion won, led by Hanwha....

Published 2026.08.25. 16:37:48 | Updated 2026.08.25. 18:09:37 |

Patrol Robot Guards Royal Tombs in Korean Field Test

An AI patrol robot began testing at Korea's Seooreung Royal Tombs, running on rocky paths and 30-degree slopes and detecting fires and collapsed visit...

Published 2026.08.25. 16:31:41 |

Stablecoin KRWQ Halts Gift Card Sales After Money Laundering Concerns

KRWQ Gifts, which let overseas users buy Korean gift cards with a won-pegged stablecoin, halted service five days after launch amid money laundering…...

Published 2026.08.25. 16:31:29 | Updated 2026.08.25. 18:21:16 |

Korean Won Pauses Rally as Dollar Rises After 8 Sessions

The Korean won weakened for the first time in eight sessions, closing at 1,386.1 per dollar as foreign stock selling and a stronger dollar offset earl...

Published 2026.08.25. 16:14:13 |