Just last month, a substantial amount of approximately 11 trillion won (US$8.14 billion) in Korean won was withdrawn from the U.S. dollar deposits of the top five domestic commercial banks. It is analyzed that people exchanged dollars for won to capitalize on exchange rate differentials with the won
The World Bank (WB), along with the Group of Seven (G7) countries, has decided to invest US$40 million in developing countries in order to stabilize global supply chains. The WB plans to raise US$100 million within five years, and the Korean government will contribute US$3 million in the early stage
Korea’s current account surplus reached US$4.81 billion in August, marking the fourth consecutive month of surplus. Although the goods balance posted the highest surplus in a year and five months, the surplus remained a recessionary one as imports fell more than exports. The Bank of Korea (BOK) fore
This year, South Korea is expected to record a growth rate lower than that of Japan. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has maintained its earlier projection of 1.4 percent for South Korea’s growth rate this year. Japan’s growth rate projection for this year has risen to 2.0 percent, expected to
The size of alternative investments in overseas real estate by domestic financial firms has grown by 2 trillion won (US$1.48 billion) in the past year, according to recent findings. Concerns about potential losses for financial firms have arisen due to the downturn in the overseas real estate market
Korea’s foreign exchange reserves fell for the second consecutive month in September as the U.S. dollar continued to strengthen.Korea’s foreign exchange reserves stood at US$414.1 billion at the end of September, down by US$4.18 billion from US$418.3 billion at the end of August, according to foreig
Amid a decline in overseas real estate prices, funds that invested in offices in the United States and Europe are facing potential losses. It has been estimated that over 1 trillion won was invested in mutual funds that were sold since 2018. The number of investors who have invested in these funds e
South Korean government bond yields have been on a soaring trajectory, surging by nearly 0.5 percentage points in just the past month, and are now heading towards the 5 percent range.According to the Economic Statistics System of the Bank of Korea (BOK) on Oct. 5, the yield on 10-year government bon
In the era of high interest rates and low growth, the rapidly increasing corporate debt has become another critical concern for the South Korean economy. Particularly worrisome is the growing prevalence of zombie companies that are keeping themselves afloat through debt, primarily among small and me
Korea’s industrial production, which had shrunken due to a slump in the semiconductor industry, made a comeback as semiconductor production rebounded.According to Statistics Korea on Oct. 4, the nation’s semiconductor production surged 13.4 percent month on month in August, the largest increase in f
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in South Korea reached a record high of US$23.95 billion (32.48 trillion won) by the end of the third quarter this year. The surge in investment, primarily focused on advanced industries such as secondary batteries, came from the European Union (EU) and regions in the
As the global energy market is rapidly changing, South Korea, the world’s third-largest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after Japan and China, is also closely monitoring the situation.According to the Korea Customs Service on Sept. 3, South Korea’s cumulative LNG import volume and import val
As of the second quarter of this year, household and corporate debt has surged to approximately 2.26 times the nation’s economic size as measured by the gross domestic product (GDP). The Bank of Korea (BOK) has issued a warning emphasizing that the further expansion of private credit could potential
Last month, resident deposits fell below US$100 billion (133.65 trillion won), marking a decline for the first time in four months. This decline is attributed to the strong dollar phenomenon, which has led to a reduction in the conversion value of deposits denominated in euros and yen.According to t
Concerns are being raised that the structure of South Korea’s economy is evolving into the “New Normal” characterized by low growth. This is due to the fact that our economy, heavily reliant on exports, is not recovering, primarily as a result of the sluggish Chinese economy. Furthermore, external c
Financial authorities have declared war on unfair trading forces, including stock manipulation. They will swiftly freeze accounts suspected of unfair trading, apply a zero-tolerance policy, and increase the reward for reporting to 3 billion won (US$2.24 million), up from 2 billion won (US$1.49 milli
It has been revealed that individuals and corporations residing in South Korea declared virtual assets held in overseas accounts last year, amounting to a staggering 131 trillion won (US$98.72 billion). This constitutes a whopping 70 percent of the total reported amount for overseas financial accoun
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has projected South Korea’s economic growth rate to be 1.5 percent for this year, while Japan’s growth rate is expected to be 1.8 percent. If this forecast materializes, it would mark the first time in 25 years that Japan’s growth rat
Despite the escalating power struggle between the United States and China leading to increased calls for decoupling from China, an analysis suggests that it may not be easy for many countries, including South Korea, among the participants in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF),
In the span of a year, bad loans in corporate lending from the five major banks have surged by over 400 billion won (US$300.98 million), heading towards the 3 trillion won mark. With the corporate sector facing economic challenges, there are concerns that the fierce competition in corporate lending