Reality bites as Korea's retail investors struggle to escape leverage trap SEOUL, July 23 (AJP) - Reality bites, and it takes a strong stomach to survive the KOSPI reality show, where billions of won in retail wealth disappear every trading day. Panic flashes across online stock forums. "Save me. I'm trapped at 22,000 won," one investor wrote, unsure whether to sell or keep holding a Samsung Electronics 2x leveraged exchange-traded fund bought near that price. The desperation reflects what is becoming a familiar pattern. According to the Korea Financ July 23, 2026

Seoul steps in as ETF crash takes toll on retirees and minors SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - A crash inevitably leaves collateral damage, and the nearly 50 percent plunge in leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) linked to chip behemoths Samsung Electronics and SK hynix has hit some of South Korea's most vulnerable investors, wiping out retirement savings and money invested on behalf of minors. "Were we guinea pigs?" one investor wrote after watching losses mount in the newly launched single-stock leveraged ETFs. "Will anybody help?" anot July 21, 2026

Samchundang Pharm shares surge on hopes for diabetes generic SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - KOSDAQ-listed drugmaker Samchundang Pharm saw its shares soar on Monday amid expectations that its diabetes drug would move a step closer to entering the U.S. pharmaceutical market. Its shares surged 29.82 percent to close at the daily trading limit of 239,000 won after the drugmaker said it had received a written response from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its oral semaglutide generic, a pill for Type 2 diabetes, although the approval process rema July 20, 2026

Bio, fashion IPOs seek to inject life into subdued KOSDAQ SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) — South Korea's KOSDAQ, which turned 30 this month but has fallen 14 percent this year while the KOSPI has surged more than 60 percent, will look to a handful of biotechnology and fashion IPOs this week to revive its subdued listing market. The listings come as the KOSDAQ's fundraising market remains sluggish. Only 25 companies debuted on the exchange in the first half, down from 37 a year earlier, while total IPO proceeds fell to 740 billion won ($534 million July 20, 2026

Four in 10 Korean listed firms face weaker Q2 SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) —Nearly four out of 10 South Korean listed companies are expected to post weaker second-quarter earnings than previously anticipated as the economic fallout from the prolonged Middle East conflict spread across much of corporate Korea, with the windfall from the semiconductor and stock market rally largely confined to a handful of industries. According to financial data provider FnGuide, operating profit forecasts for the April-June quarter were revised lower for 94 July 20, 2026

KOSDAQ-listed battery materials maker seeks Nasdaq debut through SPAC merger SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - South Korean battery materials maker Enchem on Thursday unveiled its plans to list its U.S. affiliate on Nasdaq through a merger, aiming to tap U.S. capital markets for its North American expansion. The announcement of the plan sent its shares up 17.99 percent to 25,250 won, after the KOSDAQ-listed stock climbed as high as 26,900 won earlier in the day. Under the plan, its U.S. affiliate Enchem America will merge with TLGY Acquisition Corp., a Nasdaq-listed special purpo July 16, 2026

KOSDAQ-listed biotech Alteogen slides amid rival technology concerns SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - Shares of South Korean biotech company Alteogen have fallen sharply this week after Samsung Bioepis filed a patent application for a similar drug-delivery technology. The move raised concerns that Samsung Bioepis could challenge Alteogen with a competing technology that converts intravenous drugs into subcutaneous injections. Both companies, however, dismissed the concerns, saying the market reaction was excessive and the technologies are not direct competitors. Samsung July 16, 2026

Korean sovereign bonds emerges as Asia's standout bond trade: MarketAxess SEOUL, July 15 (AJP) — While foreign investors have grown increasingly selective across Asia's bond markets, South Korea has emerged as the region's lone standout, attracting uninterrupted monthly inflows into government debt as global funds bet on the country's semiconductor-driven economy and forthcoming inclusion in one of the world's most influential sovereign bond indexes. "Korea has certainly been an interesting market when we look at Korean Treasury Bonds," July 15, 2026

Stricter delisting rules rattle KOSDAQ-listed companies SEOUL, July 14 (AJP) - South Korea's tougher delisting rules are starting to shake up the stock market sooner than expected. Less than two weeks after the new delisting regulations took effect on the South Korean bourse earlier this month, several companies listed on the junior KOSDAQ have already been flagged as at risk of being placed on the Korea Exchange's watchlist. Under the regulations, which took effect July 1, companies whose market capitalization remains below 20 billion won July 14, 2026

Koreans raid retirement savings to chase the stock bull SEOUL, July 14 (AJP) — South Koreans are dipping into pension and long-term funds to join the stock market rush, risking their retirement nest eggs as they chase short-term returns. The number of Koreans cashing out private retirement savings plans jumped 62.7 percent in the first five months of the year from a year earlier, while fund redemptions rose 47.3 percent, according to data submitted by the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) and the Korea Securities Depository (KSD) released T July 14, 2026