Korea Economic Daily

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on the 19th that she will dissolve the House of Representatives (lower house) on the 23rd. At a press conference held that day at the Prime Minister’s Office, Takaichi officially expressed her intention to

Heard on Wall Street (5) Ira Kalish, Deloitte economist Tariff-driven rise in imported intermediate-goods prices Deteriorating cost structure across manufacturing US population decline due to immigration policy The labor supply itself will shrink A w

The Bank of Korea (BOK) recently assessed that a “poverty amid plenty” phenomenon is emerging in the foreign-exchange market. While dollars are awash in the foreign-currency funding market where dollars are lent, the spot FX market—where dollars are

The KOSPI index on the 19th rose above the 4,900 level for the first time ever during intraday trading. As of 1:56 p.m. on the 19th, the KOSPI was trading at 4,903.3, up 62.56 points (1.29%) from the previous session. After opening lower, the index e

China’s economy posted 5% growth last year. While growth in the fourth quarter slowed to 4.5%, the country met the Chinese government’s full-year target. Gross domestic product (GDP) in the fourth quarter of last year, released by China’s National Bu

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on the 19th (local time) on social media (SNS) that "an attack on our country’s Supreme Leader is tantamount to all-out war against the Iranian state." He wrote, "If the lives of our beloved Iranian people are

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, in connection with the controversy stemming from the United States’ attempt to annex Greenland, that “we will not outsource the security of the United States and the Western Hemisphere to other countries.” In

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Europe would not yield to intimidation after U.S. President Donald Trump signaled he would impose tariffs on major European countries opposing a U.S. annexation of Greenland, a Danish territory. In a state

Eight European countries: “Solidarity with Greenland…tariff threats weaken transatlantic ties” As U.S. President Donald Trump moves to impose tariffs on European countries in an effort to annex Greenland, the European Union (EU) is considering activa

U.S. President Donald Trump made clear his intention to take Greenland and warned he would impose tariffs on eight European countries that sent troops to Greenland. He threatened to keep levying tariffs until the United States fully takes Greenland.

In response to a question, "Will South Korea be held to the Taiwan standard?" the reply was: "Separate agreements by country" The US government warned that it could impose tariffs of up to 100% on semiconductors on major chip-producing countries incl

Concerns that appointing a Trump ally could trigger pushback starting at the confirmation stage Chances rise that Kevin Warsh, former Fed governor, is nominated instead of Hassett As a probe targeting Jerome Powell, chair of the U.S. central bank (Fe

“FX exposure is disproportionately large relative to the FX market” A ‘rush to hedge’ could amplify volatility An international institution has sounded the alarm that Korea’s stock of dollar assets exposed to currency risk is excessive relative to th

Bessent’s unusual verbal intervention as US Treasury secretary Brakes on the won and yen, vying for the weakest exchange-rate performance Warning to Japan: “Sound monetary policy needed” Yen nearing its lowest level in 40 years Growing co-movement wi

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has demanded damages of up to 198 trillion won from OpenAI and Microsoft (MS), according to Bloomberg and other U.S. media reports. In a court filing submitted on the 16th (local time), Musk’s legal team said OpenAI abandoned

As of November last year, China’s holdings of U.S. Treasuries fell to their lowest level in about 17 years since September 2008. According to figures released by the U.S. Treasury Department on the 17th (local time), China’s Treasury holdings totaled

The United States again underscored that it could impose a 100% tariff on semiconductors from major producing countries such as South Korea. According to Bloomberg on the 17th (local time), US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick told reporters at th

Lee Chang-hoon, an adjunct professor at Hanyang University Business School, said in an appearance on Korea Economic TV on the 16th that "despite structural problems such as slowing potential growth, aging demographics and high household debt, the cur

BitPlanet, BitMax plunge Brokerages: "Rebound possible if talks resume" Related stocks fell across the board after the US Congress postponed deliberations on the “Clarity Act,” which would set rules for cryptocurrency trading. On the KOSDAQ on the 16

Hana Financial-led consortium gets off the ground Participants include BNK, iM Financial, and SC First Bank, among others Banks, card firms and fintechs form cross-industry alliances Hana Financial Group has joined hands with BNK Financial Group and

Amid continued strength in semiconductor stocks, the KOSPI closed above the 4,800 mark for the first time on record. It has now risen for 11 consecutive sessions—meaning it has not fallen on a single day so far this year. Thanks to the rally, the tot

Troops withdrawn from a U.S. base in Qatar Reportedly returning again Advisers to U.S. President Donald Trump have concluded that an attack on Iran is unlikely to lead to the collapse of the Iranian regime. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on t

More than half of Kakao Investment’s 10.58% stake… “Nothing has been decided” Samsung Financial affiliates are reviewing a plan to acquire part of the Dunamu stake held by Kakao Investment, Dunamu’s third-largest shareholder. With a shareholders’ mee

The KOSPI index broke above the 4,800 mark for the first time on the 16th. According to the Korea Exchange, the benchmark opened up 23.11 points (0.48%) at 4,820.566. The index has now risen for 11 consecutive trading sessions. Min-kyung Shin, Hankyu

Austan Goolsbee, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, warned that inflation could surge again if the independence of the U.S. central bank (the Fed) is undermined. He said the Trump administration’s recent political offensive targeting t

Wall Street’s three major equity benchmarks ended higher. Taiwan’s TSMC set a new record for results, lifting investor sentiment across the semiconductor sector. Still, major indexes gave back gains quickly in the afternoon, signaling resistance at e

◆ New York stocks close higher on rebound in semiconductors and financials Wall Street’s three major stock indexes finished in positive territory. Investor appetite spread across the broader semiconductor sector after Taiwan’s TSMC posted record resu

BOK deletes wording on a ‘base rate cut’…effectively signaling the end of the easing cycle Rhee: "The won is undervalued relative to fundamentals About 75% is due to external factors such as a strong dollar and a weak yen" Five of six MPC members: "H