GS Engineering & Construction (GS E&C) has acquired three advanced modular companies in the United States and Europe to enter the global housing construction market. GS E&C has become the first Korean builder to take over an advanced foreign modular company.GS E&C announced on Jan. 21 that company p
The Asia Region Funds Passport (ARFP) is scheduled to be implemented on May 27 this year, making cross-selling of public funds possible in South Korea, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Thailand.The Financial Services Commission announced on Jan. 20 that it is revising subordinate provisions of the
Shinhan Bank Vietnam announced on Jan. 16 that S&P granted a long-term credit rating of BB.At present, Vietnamese banks’ credit ratings range from BB- to B+ and Shinhan Bank Vietnam has the highest S&P credit rating in the banking sector of the country, whose sovereign credit rating is also BB. The
The Korea Financial Investment Association announced on Jan. 16 that foreign investors accounted for 38.9 percent of the aggregate value of the KOSPI stock market on Jan. 14, 585.98 trillion won out of 1,506.53 trillion won to be specific. The ratio is the highest since Aug. 8, 2006, when it reached
The Korea Securities Depository (KSD) announced on Jan. 15 that the annual fund profit dividends increased by 16.1 percent to 21,177.3 billion won last year.Specifically, public fund dividends increased 4.51 percent to 3,519.6 billion won and private fund dividends increased 18.7 percent to 17,657.7
Korean companies went through many difficulties in 2019. As the 2019 earnings announcement season approaches, much attention is being paid to whether companies designated as issues for administration will be delisted.Companies that recorded operating losses over the last five business years are subj
Overseas investment funds, which invest in overseas stocks, bonds and real estate, have surpassed 180 trillion won (about US$155 billion), accounting for about 30 percent of all investment funds. Private equity-type overseas investment funds mainly targeting wealthy people have grown rapidly.The amo
The 2020 JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, the world’s largest healthcare investment symposium for the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, opened in San Francisco, the United States, on Jan. 13 (local time), with some 1,500 pharma companies from 40 countries around the world participating. About 30
Kia Motors will invest 29 trillion won (about US$25 billion) over the coming six years to transform into an innovative brand, the company’s CEO announced on Jan. 14.Kia Motors CEO Park Han-woo hosted the company’s first investor day for this year to unveil “Plan S,” a medium- and long-term strategy
The Korea Financial Investment Association announced on Jan. 12 that the annual turnover ratio of government bonds in the over-the-counter bond market fell 27 percentage points to 312.64 percent in 2019. It is lower than the 403.8 percent level recorded during the global financial crisis of 2008.The
The size of foreign investment funds available in South Korea increased from 135.94 trillion won to 183.69 trillion won in 2019 alone and more than doubled in three years. The net asset value of the funds was more than 190.87 trillion won at the end of last year.Such a rapid growth has to do with la
The Ministry of Economy and Finance conducted a public tender for three-year treasury bonds on Jan. 6 and the bonds worth a total of 2.2 trillion won were sold at a weighted average rate of 1.26 percent. Bidders came up with 6.48 trillion won.The bidding finished at one basis point higher than the b
Korea’s current account surplus took an upturn in November 2019, the first on-year increase in nine months, but it looks more like a recession-type surplus.Current account surplus widened as Korean companies paid less in dividend to overseas investors because of their deteriorating profits, and both
Korea Exchange announced on Jan. 7 that the total net asset of ETFs listed in South Korea hit a record high of 51.7 trillion won at the end of last year, up 26.1 percent from a year earlier, led by a continuous supply of new ETFs and improved local stock market conditions. Last year, 35 domestic and
South Korea suffered a 13 percent drop in inbound foreign direct investment (FDI) last year compared to 2018. FDI shrank throughout the first half of last year before recovering to some degree in the second half due to large-scale acquisitions of domestic companies by foreign investors.One main reas
The 4th Industrial Revolution Commission under the Presidential Office suggested that the Korean government allow financial institutions to launch cryptocurrency-related products, such as Bitcoin derivatives, as a medium- and long-term strategy for the institutionalization of cryptocurrencies.As dig
The Korean government says that it will revitalize the economy through regulatory innovation, but companies leading new industries are caught in the trap of excessive regulations.In the field of biotechnology, which constitutes a key growth engine in the 4th Industrial Revolution era, many regulatio
Foreign investors bought 5.12 trillion won (US$4.2 billion) worth of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix shares this year. Institutional investors also bought 3.8 trillion won (US3.2 billion) worth of the two companies’ stocks.Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix ranked first and second in net buying volum
To promote financial innovation, South Korean financial authorities have been pushing ahead with deregulation measures, including the authorization of internet-only banks and the introduction of a regulatory sandbox. However, Korea still has a long way to go to achieve financial innovation.According
LG Chem may spin off its battery business division as continued investment in new battery production plants has been increasing the company’s financial burden. Analysts speculate that the company may seek to raise funds through an IPO of the separated company.Referring to the speculation, LG Chem re