Korea Economic Daily

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

7 in 10 Americans say they “can’t afford the cost of living” Trump pivots to “tackling living costs” ahead of the midterms Plan to cap credit-card rates at 10% hits financial stocks hard Goal of “$50 oil” rattles the U.S. crude industry as well In th

WTI rebounds to the $60 range… some see a “near-term touch of $70” Geopolitical risk index at highest since June last year Betting markets: “70%+ chance of a strike by the U.S. or others this month” LS Securities: “Tightening the screws on China’s oi

Iran’s anti-government protests continue Trump: “Stop executing protesters” Signals military intervention is on hold for now But does not fully rule out military action Aircraft carrier moving toward the Middle East Iran closes its airspace for about

Trump Steps Up Broad Pressure on the Pharma Industry Will a 100% Levy Become Reality As U.S. President Donald Trump signals broader semiconductor tariffs, analysts say steep product-specific tariffs on pharmaceuticals could be imposed in the near ter

On the 15th in Tokyo’s FX market, the yen-dollar rate traded in the mid-¥158 per dollar range. The yen strengthened by about ¥1 from the previous day. A fresh wave of yen buying—reflecting the possibility of government intervention—came in after Japa

Reference to 'rate cuts' removed from policy statement The Bank of Korea’s Monetary Policy Board (MPB) on the 15th left the benchmark rate unchanged at 2.50% per annum and removed language related to “rate cuts” from its statement. In the monetary po

"Delays in market launch must not cost us the golden window for financial transformation" The Korea Fintech Industry Association (KORFIN), a fintech industry group, called for a swift decision on licensing a "fractional investment over-the-counter (O

The Bank of Korea on the 15th held its key policy rate at 2.50% a year. The BOK held a Monetary Policy Board meeting on monetary policy at its headquarters on Namdaemun-ro in Seoul and decided to maintain the current level of interest rates. This mar

KOSPI hits an intraday record high of 4,749 points on the 15th Upside capped amid Middle East geopolitical jitters The KOSPI has extended its winning streak to 10 consecutive sessions since the start of the year, staging a record-high rally. As of 9:

US President Donald Trump has ordered a 25% tariff on certain advanced semiconductors that do not contribute to building the US technology supply chain and strengthening domestic manufacturing capabilities. According to the White House on the 14th (l