Specialized patent examiners in the field of semiconductors, which has acquired crucial technologies over more than 30 years in private semiconductor companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, are being further expanded this year to contribute to securing the nation’s competitiveness. Parti
As of the end of August this year, South Korea’s foreign exchange reserves were recorded at US$418.3 billion. This marks a decrease of US$3.5 billion compared to the previous month.On Sept. 5, the Bank of Korea announced the size of foreign exchange reserves and attributed the decrease to primarily
In the process of selecting eligible acquisition candidates for a shortlist for HMM, the largest container shipping company in Germany, Hapag-Lloyd, which had expressed interest in the acquisition, has been excluded. As a result, it is anticipated that the acquisition battle will unfold as a three-w
HMM potential acquirers Harim and Dongwon as well as LX and the German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd are currently undergoing eligibility assessments for the acquisition of HMM, formerly known as Hyundai Merchant Marine. In the meantime, Korea Development Bank (KDB) and the Korea Ocean Business Corpo
Japan’s nationwide average minimum wage has surpassed 1,000 yen (9,241 won or US$6.88) per hour for the first time. It is analyzed that local governments have implemented larger increases than expected as rising prices overlapped with labor shortages.According to reports from Nihon Keizai Shimbun an
The trade surplus of US$2.44 billion in the first half of this year is largely attributed to a substantial inflow of dividend income from abroad, amounting to US$1.59 billion. This analysis points to the expansion of overseas direct investments by companies that had previously heavily relied on key
The difference in interest rates between Korea and the United States, which has reached 2 percentage points for the first time in history, is expected to continue for quite some time. However, the Korean foreign exchange market has been calm, starting at a low point in early trading despite concerns
The Net International Investment Position (NIIP) as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which indicates Korea’s ability to make international payments, stood at 46.3 percent last year, showing an increase of nearly 10 percentage points in just one year. This growth was driven by the expans
In the first six months of this year, the net issuance of Korean Paper denominated in foreign currencies by domestic residents, excluding the government, amounted to US$13.3 billion. This marks a significant increase compared to the previous year’s annual net issuance of US$11.4 billion. Furthermore
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at pk.park@nhqv.com -- Ed.Dental implant exports logged a new monthly high in June, with record-high exports continuing to major countries thanks to China’s VBP effects and Russia’s recovery. In addition, monthly exports of a
Bank of Korea Governor Lee Chang-yong had a surprise meeting with Pan Gongsheng, the current Chinese Communist Party Committee Secretary and head of the People's Bank of China (PBC) on July 3 ahead of U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s visit to China. The PBC actively publicized the meeting
The author is an analyst for Shinhan Securities. He can be reached at kw.eun@shinhan.com -- Ed.2Q23 earnings previewKB Financial Group is expected to post net profit of controlling interest of KRW1.33tr for 2Q23, meeting the market consensus. Margins are likely to come in strong as in the previous q
Around 800 affluent individuals are projected to emigrate from South Korea this year, doubling the figure from last year. In contrast, the outflow of the rich in China is anticipated to reach 13,500 people.Investment immigration consulting firm Henley & Partners revealed these estimates in its “2023
Foreign investors bought a record 15 trillion won (US$11.8 billion) worth of stocks and bonds in Korea’s financial market in May.According to international financial and foreign exchange market trends released by the Bank of Korea (BOK) on June 12, foreign investors recorded a net inflow of US$114.3
The author is an analyst for Shinhan Securities. He can be reached at jk.ahn@shinhan.com -- Ed.KTB yields on a steep uptrend since end-May on issues at home and abroadThe 3Y KTB yield has now rebounded near 3.6% after remaining below the base rate of 3.5% since mid-March, putting an end to the negat
With the introduction of the new International Financial Reporting Standard 17 (IFRS 17), financial authorities have prepared guidelines to prevent insurance companies from inflating Contractual Service Margins (CSM) through arbitrary and optimistic actuarial assumptions.In particular, the guideline
Korean funds’ inflow into the Indian stock market have soared as emerging markets have emerged as new investment destinations amid the U.S.-China trade war. As the entry of large players has widened the choice of exchange traded funds (ETFs), the Indian ETF market is expected to expand faster over t
Korea’s shipping industry and a seafarers’ union have called for a halt to the overseas sale of Hyundai LNG Shipping, the country’s largest carrier specializing in liquefied natural gas (LNG) transportation.The Federation of Korea Maritime Industries (FKMI) put out a statement on May 8, taking issue
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at sw.kang@nhqv.com -- Ed.Unlike February, bank credit contraction is now partially replacing the role of the Fed. Despite an upside surprise in non-farm payrolls, a reacceleration in Fed tightening appears unlikely. Given th
The Bank of Korea kept the key rate at 3.5 percent on April 11. It explained that preventing a further recession and financial instabilities is more important than stable consumer prices as of now and it is too early to predict any rate cut although it has been kept at that level twice.“At present,