Seoul shares open higher amid hopes for end to US govt. shutdown

Seoul shares opened higher Tuesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street, amid hopes for an end to the US government shutdown. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 89.06 points, or 2.19 percent, to 4,162.30 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.81 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite advanced 2.27 percent. The US Senate advanced a plan to end the record-long government shutdown, and President Donald Trump expressed s

Nov. 11, 2025

Seoul shares up more than 3% on hopes for dividend tax reform, end of US shutdown

Seoul shares shot up more than 3 percent Monday as investor sentiment was boosted by the government's proposed dividend tax reform, along with signs of an end to the longest government shutdown in the United States' history. The local currency rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 119.48 points, or 3.02 percent, to close at 4,073.24. Trade volume was moderate at 334 million shares worth 16.5 trillion won ($11.3 billion), with gainers far outpacing lose

Nov. 10, 2025

Kospi reclaims 4,000 level as policy optimism lifts stocks

Seoul’s benchmark Kospi climbed back above the 4,000 mark on Monday, buoyed by renewed optimism over investor-friendly policy measures and signs of a deal to end the US government shutdown. As of 2:30 p.m., the Kospi traded around 4,085, up 3.3 percent from Friday’s close. The index extended gains after opening 0.96 percent higher at 3,991.87, holding above the 4,000 threshold for most of the session. Institutions led the rally with net purchases of about 1.2 trillion won ($826.7 million) as of

Nov. 10, 2025

Seoul stocks open higher on bargain hunting

South Korean shares opened higher Monday as investors sought to bag bargains following sharp declines last week on concerns over a bubble in tech firms. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 1.81 percent, or 71.45 points, to 4,025.21 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The Kospi experienced sharp volatility last week, climbing to a record high of over 4,200 on Monday before plunging nearly 3 percent Wednesday. After a brief rebound Thursday, the index shed 1.81 percent Friday, clo

Nov. 10, 2025

Kosdaq barely grows as Kospi adds W1,000tr. Why?

Nearly three decades after its launch as Korea’s answer to the Nasdaq, the Kosdaq is struggling to live up to its original promise as a market for innovation and growth. Once envisioned as a springboard for tech startups and the next generation of industry leaders, it has instead become a quiet corner of the country’s equity landscape — and an increasingly neglected one. The gap between the Kosdaq and the Kospi has rarely looked wider. Since June, when the main board began its record-setting 56

Nov. 9, 2025

Kospi dips nearly 2% on woes over valuation, US-China trade conflict

After choppy trading, South Korean shares ended 1.8 percent lower Friday, capping a turbulent week, as big-cap tech shares lost ground amid concerns over an artificial intelligence bubble, and renewed trade tensions between the United States and China. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index tumbled 72.69 points, or 1.81 percent, to close at 3,953.76, after touching an intraday low of 3,887.32. Trade volume was moderate at 366.7 million shares worth 18.6 trillion won ($12.8 billion), wit

Nov. 7, 2025

Korean shoppers pull back from overseas apps over safety concerns, Seoul survey finds

Nearly half of Korean consumers who buy from overseas e-commerce platforms say they are scaling back due to concerns about product safety, according to a new survey released Friday by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The city’s Electronic Commerce Center found that 45.3 percent of respondents with cross-border shopping experience had reduced purchases from overseas platforms due to safety issues. Only 5.4 percent said they had increased their overseas shopping. The rest said they had either be

Nov. 7, 2025

Seoul stocks open lower on US losses

South Korean shares opened nearly 1 percent lower Friday, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street sparked by woes over an artificial intelligence bubble and jobs. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 39.52 points, or 0.98 percent, to 3,986.93 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, major US indexes closed lower on revived fears over stretched valuation of AI-related shares and data showing a cooling labor market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.84 percent, the tec

Nov. 7, 2025

AmCham, new FTC chief discuss Korea’s fair trade policy, regulatory challenge

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea on Thursday held a roundtable in Seoul with Fair Trade Commission Chair Ju Biung-ghi to discuss on the government’s fair trade policy and regulatory challenges facing global companies operating in Korea. In his remarks, AmCham Chair and CEO James Kim underscored the importance of transparent and predictable regulation to enhance Korea’s competitiveness as an investment destination. “Building on the successful momentum from the APEC CEO Summit, AmCham loo

Nov. 6, 2025

Seoul stocks slightly rebound from 3% dip on bargain hunting

South Korean shares slightly rebounded from a nearly 3 percent fall the previous day, as retail investors continued their buying spree with unwavering risk appetite. The Korean won slightly gained ground against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 22.03 points, or 0.55 percent, to close at 4,026.45. Trade volume was slightly heavy at 418.8 million shares worth 21.2 trillion won ($14.6 billion), with winners outnumbering losers 630 to 266. Retail investors and ins

Nov. 6, 2025

Seoul stocks open sharply higher, rebounding from crash

South Korean shares opened more than 1 percent higher Thursday as big-cap tech shares rebounded from their crash the previous day, which had been sparked by woes over the valuation of artificial intelligence - related stocks. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 55.89 points, or 1.4 percent, to 4,060.31 in the first 15 minutes of trading, recovering from a nearly 3 percent fall on Wednesday. Overnight, major US indexes closed higher, rebounding from their falls the previous day

Nov. 6, 2025

Seoul stocks dip nearly 3% on AI bubble woes; won slides to 7-month low

South Korean shares plunged by nearly 3 percent Wednesday as big-cap tech shares slid, tracking an overnight slump on Wall Street sparked by concerns over an artificial intelligence bubble. The Korean won sharply lost ground against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 117.32 points, or 2.85 percent, to close at 4,004.42, after dipping to as low as 3,867.81 at one point, retreating back below the 4,200 mark just two days after reaching the milestone. The tech-heavy

Nov. 5, 2025

AI bubble fears trigger W2.5tr foreign 'panic sell' on Kospi

South Korean stocks tumbled Wednesday amid growing fears that the AI boom has pushed global equity valuations too far. This triggered heavy selling in chip shares and dragged the won to a nearly seven-month low against the dollar after a tech-led slump on Wall Street. The benchmark Kospi slid below the 4,000 mark and eventually the 3,900 threshold during intraday trading, giving up the gains it had accumulated over the past few sessions. As of 2 p.m., it stood at 3,975.83, shedding 145.91 points

Nov. 5, 2025

Seoul stocks open sharply lower on US tech slump

South Korean shares opened more than 3 percent lower Wednesday, tracking an overnight slump on Wall Street sparked by concerns of lofty stock market valuations and an artificial intelligence bubble. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 135.79 points, or 3.29 percent, to 3,985.59 in the first 15 minutes of trading, retreating back below the 4,000 mark a little over a week after reaching the milestone. Overnight, major US indexes closed lower as blue chip tech shares, such as Nvidi

Nov. 5, 2025

Alibaba Cloud named Gartner 2025 leader in enterprise cloud platforms

Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence arm of Alibaba Group, said Tuesday it has been named a Leader in Gartner’s 2025 Magic Quadrant reports for Container Management and Cloud-Native Application Platforms, underscoring its growing presence in enterprise cloud infrastructure. According to Alibaba Cloud, the dual recognition reflects its continued innovation in accelerating digital transformation for global enterprises. “Being recognized as a Leader in both categories highlights o

Nov. 4, 2025