A forecast has emerged predicting substantial growth in South Korea’s exports this year. On Jan. 18, the Bank of Korea (BOK) published an issue note titled “Assessment and Insights on Global Growth and Trade Post-Pandemic – BOK Issue Note.”The BOK foresees an expansion in South Korea’s export growth
Korean companies doing business in China expect the Chinese market to improve in the second half of this year and beyond. In particular, they expect their sales to ascend from 2023.The largest number of the respondents (40 percent) expect an improvement in their business in China after 2024, followe
The number of technical regulations notified by World Trade Organization (WTO) member countries in 2023 exceeded 4,000 for the first time ever, a record high, showing that technical barriers to trade were rising among countries.The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards under the Ministry of Tra
As the maturity date for equity-linked securities (ELS) linked to Hong Kong’s Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI) worth 10 trillion won (US$7.6 billion) approaches in the first half of the year, it has been revealed that a confirmed loss of 100 billion won has been incurred since the beginning
Foreign tourists spent 5.64 million won (US$4,297) and 1.43 million won on duty-free goods per capita in November 2022 and November 2023, respectively. The amount plunged by more than 70%.The number of foreigners who visited domestic duty-free shops in November more than doubled to 646,000 from the
The Bank of Korea (BOK) has decided to maintain the benchmark interest rate at 3.50 percent during its first Monetary Policy Committee meeting of the year, marking the “eighth consecutive” freeze. This decision is interpreted as a cautious stance, considering the ongoing global trend of major centra
Mirae Asset Global Investments announced on Jan. 11 that its Canadian ETF subsidiary, Horizons ETFs, has surpassed 30 billion Canadian dollars in assets under management. Acquired by Mirae Asset Global Investments in November 2011, Horizons ETFs has grown its assets about ninefold from the initial C
South Korea would be hit hard if China invaded Taiwan and a war broke out, according to a forecast by Bloomberg Economics.On Jan. 9 (local time), Bloomberg Economics, an economic research institute affiliated with Bloomberg News, said the geopolitical crisis in Taiwan could intensify ahead of a pres
Korea’s current account has been in surplus for seven consecutive months as its exports recovered.Korea’s current account surplus stood at US$4.06 billion in November last year, according to provisional balance of payments statistics released by the Bank of Korea on Jan. 9. It had been in surplus fo
Starting from the second half of this year, South Korean companies will have the option to settle export and import payments in Korean won when engaging in trade transactions with certain countries from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This move is expected to allow businesses to
As the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI) in Hong Kong experiences a sharp decline, a substantial loss in equity-linked securities (ELS) linked to this index is anticipated, with outstanding sales of related products reaching a staggering 20 trillion won. Concerns are mounting over potential
More than four out of 10 listed companies in Korea were unable to pay interest with money they made, according to a recent survey. High interest rates and stagflation worsened the business environment, raising red flags on their financial conditions.As of the third quarter of 2023, 710 of 1,674 list
In 2023, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Korea exceeded US$32.7 billion, a record high. High-tech materials, parts, and equipment such as semiconductors, secondary batteries, and biotech items led the increase in FDI in Korea.According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Jan. 4, FDI
The Korean government has set a year-on-year increase of 8.5 percent in exports as a target for 2024 compared to last year. It has also set a target to begin an era of US$700 billion in exports in 2024. The key will be the recovery of semiconductor exports and exports to China blamed for a drop in K
Household and corporate debt as a percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP) has decreased for the first time in five years and nine months, signaling a trend of adjustment for the surging debt due to the COVID-19 pandemic.According to preliminary third-quarter cash flow data released by the Ban
In India, where global corporations and investors are focusing their attention as the “next China,” Mirae Asset Global Investments is gaining influence in the local market by surpassing 1 trillion won in assets under management (AUM) with its exchange-traded funds (ETFs).According to the asset manag
The Incheon Port Authority (IPA) has announced that as of Dec. 22, the container traffic at Incheon Port has surpassed 3.35 million TEU and is projected to approach a total of 3.45 million TEU. This figure is expected to set a new record high.Notably, the export performance of used cars is anticipat
South Korea recorded a trade deficit of US$9.97 billion last year, marking the second consecutive year of deficit since 2022. However, the trade deficit in the past year contracted compared to 2022 when it was US$47.78 billion, primarily due to the recovery in exports in the latter half of the year.
Debt, or credit, for both households and businesses surged to a historic peak, surpassing twice the gross domestic product (GDP) during the third quarter of this year. With an increasing number of businesses relying on non-banking institutions after the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with a rising house
Last month witnessed a turnaround in domestic production and consumption with an increase, while investments declined for the second consecutive month.According to the “Industrial Activity Trends for November 2023” report released by Statistics Korea on Dec. 28, overall industrial production, exclud