Korea Economic Daily

Optimism over US-Iran ceasefire talks is raising expectations that the Kospi can extend its rally. Market strategists say the positive momentum may continue for now. According to the Korea Exchange, the Kospi closed at 6,091.39 on July 15, up 2.07% f

Iran proposes allowing shipping through Oman-side channel Iran has proposed opening the Oman side of the Strait of Hormuz as a condition for reaching a truce agreement with the US. Reuters reported this on June 15, citing Iranian sources. One source

Mohsen Rezaei warns US ships would be sunk US deploys troops and aircraft carriers to the Middle East Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, warned that Iran would sink US warships if Washington tries to control

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite closed at record highs on July 15 as hopes for a second round of peace talks between the US and Iran buoyed investor sentiment. The S&P 500 rose 55.58 points, or 0.80%, to 7,022.95 on the New York Stock Exchange. It w

Tesla completes design of in-house AI5 chip Elon Musk said Tesla has completed the design of its in-house artificial intelligence chip, AI5. In a post on X on April 15, Musk wrote that Tesla's AI chip design team had completed the "tape-out" of AI5.

Trump Revives Threat to Remove Powell ‘If He Doesn’t Step Down on Time, He’ll Have to Be Fired’ President Donald Trump again raised the possibility of removing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. In an interview with a foreign media outlet on Aug. 1

Investor deposits rise to 117.7 trillion won, highest in three weeks Margin buying on the Kospi hits a record 23.0406 trillion won, with most of the money flowing into chip stocks Money is pouring back into South Korea’s stock market as ceasefire hop

The White House said June 15 that talks with Iran on ending the war are progressing productively and that it has not formally requested an extension of the cease-fire. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that earlier reports c

A summit between the US and China, delayed until mid-May, had initially been expected to take place in a relatively friendly atmosphere. The war in Iran changed that, sharpening tensions between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on June 15 that Washington will not renew general licenses for Iranian and Russian oil sales, tightening economic pressure on Tehran after crude prices surged during the war involving Iran. Speaking at a White

Companies to Begin IPO Process After Share Swap US Nasdaq Listing Also Under Review Dunamu and Naver Financial have formalized plans to pursue an initial public offering of their combined entity within five years of completing their merger. If the pl

Brokerages Push Beyond Stocks (3-End) Securities firms accelerate shift to comprehensive asset platforms as they expand into digital assets Mirae Asset buys Korbit, acquires Sharekhan Korea Investment reviews Coinone stake after Bithumb tie-up Hanwha

The refund process for $166 billion in tariffs ruled unlawful by the U.S. Supreme Court will begin on June 20. U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently announced it is developing the Consolidated Automated Payment Evaluation system, or CAPE, to st

BOK Governor Nominee Faces Confirmation Hearing "For Now, Inflation Takes Priority Over Growth" High Dollar-Won Rate Reflects Derivatives Tail Wagging the Dog Shin Hyun-song, nominee for Bank of Korea governor, said on April 15 that he would put grea

Nvidia’s New Technology Sparks Buying Frenzy Component Makers, Security Firms Post Double-Digit Gains Quantum-computing stocks in South Korea soared in a broad rally, with several hitting the daily limit, after Nvidia unveiled new quantum-computing t

Chip Duo’s Dominance Deepens Samsung, SK Hynix Account for 41% of Kospi Market Cap In Taiwan, TSMC Alone Makes Up More Than 40% The Kospi has reestablished itself above 6,000, with investor concentration in South Korea’s two biggest chipmakers growin

Pursues long-term polysilicon supply contract worth about $720 million Shares jump 24.93%; market value swells by about $576 million OCI Holdings surged on July 15 after a report said it had entered a long-term polysilicon supply agreement with Space

Deal sets up a direct challenge to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet business Apple, which holds a 20% stake in Globalstar, also welcomed the acquisition Amazon announced on Aug. 14 that it will acquire US satellite communications company Globalst

Broadcom said June 14 it had signed an agreement to supply Meta Platforms Inc. with 1 gigawatt of artificial intelligence chips through 2029. The company did not disclose the value of the contract. The deal extends the companies’ existing agreement t

China and Russia reaffirmed their strategic coordination after the first round of US-Iran talks on ending the war collapsed, in a message that appeared aimed at countering the US. Chinese President Xi Jinping met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavro

Second round of US-Iran talks could resume as early as June 16 Back-channel contacts continue behind the scenes The US and Iran are keeping open the possibility of a second face-to-face round of ceasefire talks just days after their first negotiation

CNN report Iran appears to have been clearing debris from the entrances of underground missile bases during a ceasefire agreed with the US. CNN reported on July 14 that the activity was visible in satellite images taken by Airbus on July 10, three da

The Trump administration could restore its tariff policy by early July after a US Supreme Court ruling blocked it, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on June 14. Speaking at a Wall Street Journal event in Washington, Bessent said the US could reim

Trump Says ‘Something Could Happen’ Within Two Days SK Hynix Hits Record Intraday High Won-Dollar Exchange Rate Falls More Than 10 Won The Kospi rose more than 3% in early trading on June 15, recovering to levels seen before the war as hopes grew for

Bloomberg report Pause could help build trust as follow-up talks are discussed Iran is considering temporarily halting shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, Bloomberg reported on April 15, citing people familiar with the matter. The move appears ai

Noh Jung-dong, Hankyung.com reporter, dong2@hankyung.com

Optimism over renewed talks persists Nasdaq rises for a 10th straight session Oil, dollar and Treasury yields fall together Major US stock indexes rallied on June 14 as hopes for a second round of talks between the US and Iran buoyed investor sentime

Ko Jung-sam, Hankyung.com reporter jsk@hankyung.com