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K-food diplomacy in action at APEC
From bottled water at negotiation tables and liquor served at leaders’ banquets to snacks offered to journalists at the media center, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, doubles as a global showcase for Korean food. A variety of local food and dining companies are supporting the APEC summit in Gyeongju as official sponsors to promote the global competitiveness and brand value of the K-food industry. Out of the 66 official sponsors, food-related co
Oct. 29, 2025 -
Seoul stocks open higher on Wall Street rally
South Korean shares opened higher Wednesday, tracking gains on Wall Street amid the growing optimism over the artificial intelligence sector. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 0.48 percent, or 19.16 points, to 4,029.57 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the three major US indexes closed at record highs, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite rising 0.8 percent and the S&P 500 advancing 0.23 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.3 percent. In Seoul, top te
Oct. 29, 2025 -
Irish investors join global rush into Korean equities
Irish investors emerged as surprise heavyweights in Korea’s stock market upswing, becoming the second-largest net buyers with 4 trillion won ($2.8 billion) in purchases over the past four months, regulatory data showed Tuesday. According to the Financial Supervisory Service, Irish traders bought a net 4.2 trillion won of Korean equities between early June and late September, trailing only US investors, who topped the list with net purchases of 8.2 trillion won during the same period. The surge m
Oct. 28, 2025 -
Seoul stocks retreat from record-breaking streak ahead of major events
South Korean stocks took a breather on Tuesday after enjoying a stellar performance over the past weeks, as investors cashed in part of jaw-dropping gains ahead of major events, such as the Trump-Xi meeting and the Federal Reserve's rate decision. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index slid 32.42 points, or 0.8 percent, to close at 4,010.41. The index has been on a bull run since late September as investors snatched up major stocks such as
Oct. 28, 2025 -
S. Korean stocks open lower ahead of Trump-Xi summit, Fed rate decision
Seoul stocks opened lower Tuesday, bucking overnight gains on Wall Street, as investors await a high-stakes meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping this week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stocks Price Index fell 29.15 points, or 0.72 percent, to 4,013.68 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, Wall Street's major stock indexes finished up, amid promising hopes for a trade deal between the world's two largest economies. Trump and Xi are scheduled to meet
Oct. 28, 2025 -
Kospi tops 4,000 for 1st time on US-China trade deal hopes
Seoul shares closed higher Monday, surpassing the 4,000 mark for the first time, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street and strong advances in technology stocks amid hopes for a comprehensive US-China trade deal. The Korean won also rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index jumped 101.24 points, or 2.57 percent, to close at 4,042.83. Trade volume was heavy at 513.48 million shares worth 20.04 trillion won (US$14 billion), with gainers beating decliners 561 to 3
Oct. 27, 2025 -
Kospi breaks 4,000 barrier — and aims higher
South Korea's benchmark topped the historic 4,000 point mark on Monday, extending a rally fueled by investor optimism over policy support aimed at boosting the equity market and narrowing the long-standing “Korea discount.” With this milestone, the market is now setting its sights on the next target: 5,000. The Kospi breached the 4,000 level for the first time, closing the session at an all-time high of 4,042.83. It gained 101.24 points, or 2.57 percent, from the previous session. After opening
Oct. 27, 2025 -
Samyang Foods' stock slips on tariff jitters
Samyang Foods’ stock rally — shooting past the 1 million won ($700) mark to climb above 1.6 million won per share — seems to have fizzled for now, down more than 20 percent this month even as the benchmark Kospi marches to fresh highs. Shares of the instant noodle maker opened at 1,263,000 won on Monday, down about 2 percent from the previous session and nearly 24 percent below its all-time intraday high of 1,665,000 won, reached just over a month ago. The stock ended the session at 1,260,000 wo
Oct. 27, 2025 -
Kospi tops 4,000 for first time
South Korea’s benchmark Kospi breached the 4,000 level for the first time Monday, extending its record-breaking run amid growing investor optimism and strong foreign inflows. The milestone came moments after the market opened at 9 a.m., with the index vaulting past 4,000 less than a minute after starting at 3,999.8. The new high came just one trading day after the Kospi crossed the 3,900 mark on Friday. Momentum built quickly. The gauge rose above 4,010 within two minutes, topped 4,030 about 40
Oct. 27, 2025 -
Seoul shares open sharply higher, topping 4,000, on US-China trade deal hopes
Seoul shares opened sharply higher Monday, exceeding the 4,000 mark for the first time, amid hopes that the United States and China soon could strike a sweeping trade deal. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 81.55 points, or 2.07 percent, to 4,023.14 in the first 15 minutes of trading. After a six-day streak of record gains since last Wednesday, the Kospi paused Thursday as investors locked in profits but rebounded to end in positive territory Friday. On Friday, US stocks also
Oct. 27, 2025 -
Trading volume of main bourse Kospi hits 4-year high amid bullish run
South Korea's main bourse saw its daily average trading volume reach the highest level in more than four years in October, helped by a recent rally, with semiconductor shares leading the overall increase, data showed Sunday. The daily average trading volume of the Korea Composite Stock Price Index market was estimated at 16.6 trillion won ($11.5 billion) as of Friday, marking the highest level since the 16.9 trillion won tallied in June 2021, according to the data compiled by the Korea Exchange,
Oct. 26, 2025 -
Foreign ownership of Kospi shares surpasses 1,000tr won
Foreigners' ownership of shares listed on South Korea's main bourse has topped 1,000 trillion won ($694 billion) on the back of the robust performance of the market this year, data showed Sunday. The combined value of foreign holdings in the Korea Composite Stock Price Index market came to 1,125 trillion won as of Friday, taking up 35 percent of the market capitalization at 3,243 trillion won, according to the data compiled by Yonhap Infomax, the financial arm of Yonhap News Agency. The value of
Oct. 26, 2025 -
Kospi again at record high, inching toward 4,000 points on hopes for Trump-Xi meeting
South Korean stocks closed sharply higher Friday, hitting another record high on strong gains in tech shares, as investor sentiment was lifted by news of a planned summit between the leaders of the United States and China. The Korean won strengthened against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index increased 96.03 points, or 2.5 percent, to close at 3,941.59. Trade volume was moderate at 419 million shares worth 17.6 trillion won ($12.2 billion), with winners beating losers
Oct. 24, 2025 -
Kospi breaks record as US-China summit plans soothe trade worries
Korea’s benchmark Kospi jumped back above the 3,900 mark Friday, hitting a fresh intraday record as investors welcomed news that Washington and Beijing have officially confirmed the date of their anticipated summit. The index rose as much as 1.83 percent to 3,915.84 in early trading, before easing slightly to 3,897.9 as of 10:25 a.m. The rally came after the White House announced that US President Donald Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Korea on Oct. 30, a day after talks with Pre
Oct. 24, 2025 -
Seoul shares open sharply higher on eased US-China tensions
South Korean stocks opened sharply higher Friday, led by gains in major technology and financial shares, as easing tensions between the United States and China boosted hopes for a trade deal and helped calm recent market jitters. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index increased 47.85 points, or 1.24 percent, to 3,893.41 in the first 15 minutes of trading. After a six-day streak of record gains since last Wednesday, the KOSPI paused on Thursday as investors locked in profits. US shares r
Oct. 24, 2025