U.S., Japan Rate Decisions Converge in Super Week

* Editor's note: AI PRISM (Personalized Report & Insight Summarizing Media) is an artificial intelligence-based personalized news recommendation and summary service developed with support from the Korea Press Foundation. It selects and provides six news items tailored to each reader type.

1. U.S., Japan Rate Super Week; Korea's Import-Export Price Index in Focus

- Key points: Global financial markets this week focus on rate decisions in the United States and Japan. The Fed holds its FOMC meeting on the 15th and 16th and will decide whether to adjust its benchmark rate, currently at 3.5% to 3.75%. It has held rates steady for five consecutive meetings since January, but a hike is now seen as possible given concerns over a prolonged Middle East war and surging international oil prices. Even if rates are held, a hawkish stance is likely to be maintained, making the dot plot, economic projections and Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's press conference the points to watch. The BOJ will decide rates at its meeting on the 17th and 18th, with observers saying a hike is all but certain amid pressure from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. An actual hike would come three months after a 0.25 percentage point increase in June, potentially bringing the unwinding of yen carry trades back into focus. In Korea, the Bank of Korea will release August import-export price indexes and producer price indexes in succession, and the Korea Exchange will begin operating an after-hours market allowing real-time trading from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

2. "I Dreamed of Turning My Life Around and Went Bust": Leveraged Retail Investors' Unpaid Debt After Selling Stocks Jumps Fivefold in a Year

- Key points: The number of individual investors unable to fully repay brokerage loans even after forced liquidation has risen sharply. According to data that the office of Rep. Park Dae-chul of the People Power Party obtained from the Financial Supervisory Service covering the 10 brokerages with the largest equity capital, unpaid principal arising immediately after forced sales totaled 37.79575 billion won from January to July this year, about 5.1 times the 7.45588 billion won in the same period last year. By month, the figure fell from 5.50132 billion won in January to 1.99621 billion won in April before surging to 13.11467 billion won in June. Analysts attribute this to large-scale forced selling after the KOSPI, which began the year around the 4,000 level, soared to about 9,385 on June 19 before falling back quickly. Accounts with unpaid principal numbered 7,251, 2.3 times last year's 3,136, and by brokerage, Kiwoom Securities (039490.KS) accounted for 20.68504 billion won, or 54.7% of the total. Outstanding unsettled receivables at the 10 brokerages also grew to 1.351 trillion won at the end of July, setting another record high.

3. Samsung Biologics' 3 Trillion Won Rights Offering Clears FSS Without Correction Order

- Key points: Samsung Biologics cleared the review of its securities registration statement for a 3 trillion won rights offering without a correction order from financial authorities. Since the FSS introduced its intensive review system for rights offerings last year, Samsung Biologics is the first company pursuing a trillion-won-scale offering to clear the review without a change to the effective date. Samsung Biologics plans to raise 3.000009 trillion won based on a planned issue price of 1.322 million won per share to fund its 1.46 billion Swiss franc (2.4 trillion won) acquisition of the PolyPeptide Group. As justification for the offering, it cited that borrowing 3 trillion won and then an additional 1 trillion won would push its debt ratio to 99.2%, exceeding the 90% threshold that triggers a review for a credit rating downgrade. The industry also points to the low share of stock held by minority shareholders, at 21.72% as of the end of the first half, as a factor behind the smooth review.

4. Tire Cord Expansion Hopes: "85% Upside for Share Price"

- Key points: Securities analysts are focusing on Kolon Industries' undervaluation and the growth potential of its industrial materials division. According to FnGuide, the average target price estimate over the past three months is 106,167 won, implying about 85% upside from the closing price of 57,400 won on the 11th. The tire cord expansion in Vietnam will be completed in the fourth quarter of this year and begin operating early next year, raising production capacity 58.3% from 36,000 tons a year to 57,000 tons. By using idle equipment at its Nanjing plant in China, the company cut investment costs to about 30 billion won from the 200 billion won such a project typically requires. IBK Investment & Securities also estimated that the spread of artificial intelligence data centers could add up to 12,000 tons of demand for para-aramid used in optical fiber reinforcement by 2028.

5. Chey Tae-won: "To Dispel AI Bubble Fears, We Must Reach a Structure That Earns and Invests on Its Own"

- Key points: SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won stressed the need for a sustainable profit structure amid an overheating AI investment boom. Speaking at the 2026 Ulsan Forum held at the Ulsan Exhibition and Convention Center on the 11th, Chey said that if large resources are poured in without generating returns, the AI boom could burst like a bubble. According to JPMorgan, capital expenditure by the world's five largest tech companies is projected to reach $791 billion (about 1,063 trillion won) this year and $1 trillion (about 1,344 trillion won) next year. Bank of Korea data show that corporate bond issuance by the five big tech firms totaled $169.15 billion (about 227 trillion won) in the first half of this year, or 51.3% of their capital expenditure. Chey also said an AI data center worth 7 trillion won that SK is building with Amazon Web Services at the Mipo National Industrial Complex in Ulsan will be expanded from 103 megawatts to a total of 1 gigawatt.

6. Lee Hyoung-il: "Financial Investment Income Tax to Be Reviewed After Market Stabilizes; Caution Needed on Regional Corporate Tax Differentiation"

- Key points: Lee Hyoung-il, nominee for deputy prime minister and minister of finance and economy, expressed a cautious stance on introducing capital gains taxes such as the financial investment income tax. In written answers submitted to the National Assembly ahead of a confirmation hearing on the 15th, Lee said the introduction of the tax is a matter to be reviewed after market conditions have sufficiently stabilized. On taxation of virtual assets, which takes effect next year, Lee said specific standards would be announced through a National Tax Service notice within the year. On reform of inheritance and gift taxes, Lee said calls for easing the tax burden coexist with opposition based on fairness in taxation, and that in-depth discussion premised on social consensus is needed. Lee also ruled out considering a further cut in corporate tax rates and said a cautious approach is needed on differentiating corporate tax rates by region, citing tax fairness and fiscal impact.