Korea Economic Daily

Lee, Trump Hold Informal Talks at G7 Summit Leaders Reaffirm Commitment to Stronger U.S.-South Korea Cooperation on Korean Peninsula, Shipbuilding U.S. President Donald Trump told South Korean President Lee Jae-myung that he would play whatever role

BOK Flags Upside Risks to Inflation "Could Also Affect Next Year's Minimum Wage" Record bonuses at Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc. are emerging as a new variable for South Korea's inflation outlook. The Bank of Korea said the outsized payou

Iranian oil set to return as crude prices slide US to grant immediate sanctions relief after June 19 ceasefire signing Brent drops back into the $70s The US has decided to immediately waive sanctions on Iranian crude when a planned 60-day ceasefire m

Considering Integration Into Copilot CoWork ‘Multi-Model’ Strategy Aims to Lower Costs Microsoft is considering adding Chinese AI company DeepSeek’s model to its platform. Axios reported on June 16 that Microsoft is weighing the use of DeepSeek’s V4

Mirae Asset Securities said on June 17 that its board approved a 300 billion won ($217 million) share buyback, the largest in the company's history. The repurchase will cover 200 billion won of common shares, 10 billion won of first preferred shares

Kia Corp. will exit the large-bus business it inherited from Asia Motors after about six decades, pressured by low-cost Chinese electric bus makers and tougher global emissions rules that have made profits harder to sustain. Kia management told the u

High inflation may persist well after war ends Oil shock could spread to other goods IT-sector bonuses may fuel demand-side price pressure Bank of Korea Governor Shin Hyun-song said consumer inflation is set to remain elevated for a prolonged period

The Bank of Korea said on June 17 that inflation is unlikely to cool quickly even if global oil prices stabilize after the war ends, as recovering consumption and rising wages keep price pressures elevated. In a report on the operation of its inflati

Inflation and exchange-rate pressures persist Sentiment in South Korea’s bond market improved in July from a month earlier as hopes grew that geopolitical risks would ease following a ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran. The Korea Financial I

The Kospi reclaimed the 8,700 level on June 17 as retail buying helped pare earlier losses, with SK Hynix reversing course and moving higher after trading flat in early dealings. As of 10:30 a.m., the Kospi was down 15.65 points, or 0.18%, at 8,710.9

"Bitcoin at $120,000 in 120 Years, With Annual Returns Below 1%" Trading participation is increasing, but issuance is slowing Bitcoin mining may end in 2140 A new argument circulating in the market says Bitcoin’s annual return over the next century m

The Kospi opened lower as investors took profits after the benchmark surged over the previous three trading sessions on optimism over an end to the US-Iran war. As of 9:05 a.m. on June 17, the Kospi was down 66.44 points, or 0.76%, at 8,660.16. Forei

Major US stock indexes ended mixed on Wall Street. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell more than 1% as semiconductor shares sank, while the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average rose on lower oil prices and Treasury yields. On June 16, the Dow rose

Bullish call options make up 70% of trading Implied volatility is about double that of Tesla and Nvidia "It could surpass Tesla and Nvidia to become the top options stock" SpaceX surged on June 16, overtaking Amazon.com to become the fifth-largest co

U.S. import prices rose more than expected in May, driven by higher fuel and capital goods costs, posting the biggest annual increase since August 2022. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said June 16 that import prices climbed 1.9% in May from a month e

SpaceX said June 16 it will acquire Anysphere, the software company behind AI coding agent Cursor, for $60 billion as it seeks to strengthen its position in the enterprise AI market. The deal could help improve the standing of Grok, the AI model deve

Despite President Donald Trump’s claims, G7 governments, oil traders and shipping companies broadly doubt the Strait of Hormuz can reopen by Friday, June 19, and say a return to normal traffic may take weeks. No one outside Iran knows how many mines

Goldman Sachs now expects oil trade in the Persian Gulf to recover by the end of July, bringing forward its previous timeline by one month after the US and Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The bank also lowered its oil price forecasts for

Former White House National Security Adviser John Bolton criticized the U.S.-Iran agreement, saying Tehran got the outcome it wanted. He argued the Trump administration gave Iran the upper hand in the negotiations by prioritizing stable oil prices an

Criticism is growing that outdated financial regulations shut Korean investors out of SpaceX, the world’s largest private space company, after the country failed to receive a single share in the offering. Ha Tae-kyung, head of the Korea Insurance Ins

Trump’s ‘war bill’… $300 billion reconstruction fund under review US says text will be released within 48 hours Delay in disclosure fuels doubts about what was agreed Trump repeatedly stresses toll-free passage US official says that would apply for o

The Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate to 1.0% from 0.75% at a monetary policy meeting on June 16, delivering its first increase in six months after a move in December. Japan's policy rate has reached the 1% level for the first time sin

The Trump administration is considering a reconstruction fund of as much as $300 billion if Iran agrees to a final peace settlement that includes a nuclear accord. While the proposal would formally take the shape of an investment fund backed by priva

South Korea’s Kospi reclaimed the 8,700 level on June 16 as news of a US-Iran agreement to end the war and falling oil prices lifted investor sentiment. The benchmark index closed up 180.62 points, or 2.11%, at 8,726.6. It opened higher on optimism o

Mirae Asset Securities said it has formally apologized to South Korean individual and corporate professional investors who subscribed in advance for the US space company SpaceX and is reviewing financial compensation. Kim Mi-seop and Hur Sun-ho, vice

Companies including SK Inc. and Lotte Corp. stand to see a sharp drop in tax costs when they cancel treasury shares created during holding-company conversions or restructuring. The South Korean government is reviewing a plan to exempt gains from thos

Separate signing ceremony set for June 19 in Geneva US says sanctions relief may be possible depending on Iran's steps The US and Iran have electronically signed a memorandum of understanding to end hostilities, according to Vice President JD Vance's

Kosdaq slips South Korea’s Kospi rose back above the 8,700 mark in early trading on June 16, lifted by news of a US-Iran peace agreement and falling crude prices. As of 9:04 a.m., the benchmark index was up 1.86% from the previous session at 8,705.02

Nasdaq jumps more than 3% Micron surges more than 10% U.S. stocks rallied on June 15 after news of a peace agreement between the US and Iran, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing at a record high. The Dow rose 468.77 points, or 0.92%, to 51,