Fitch affirms South Korea's credit rating while impeachment turmoil

SEOUL, April 11 (AJP) - Global credit rating agency Fitch Ratings revealed it had anticipated former President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment when maintaining South Korea's sovereign credit rating at 'AA- stable' in February, a decision that helped calm market concerns. In a recent report titled "Korean Court Decision on Presidential Impeachment Eases Political Risk," Fitch said the ruling eliminated a significant political uncertainty factor that had been loo

April 11, 2025

SK chief visits Taiwan to discuss AI semiconductor cooperation with TSMC

SEOUL, April 11 (AJP) - SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won traveled to Taiwan earlier this week to meet with TSMC and other Taiwanese semiconductor companies to discuss cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors, industry sources said on Friday. SK Hynix CEO Kwak No-jung reportedly accompanied Chey on the visit, which marks the chairman's first publicly known trip to Taiwan in 10 months. During his previous visit in June 2024, Chey met with TSMC Chairman Mark Liu and

April 11, 2025

Offline retailers ramp up in-store brand strategy to weather slow consumption

SEOUL, April 11 (AJP) - In an effort to combat sluggish consumer spending and stay competitive against online shopping platforms, South Korea’s major offline retailers are increasingly turning to popular in-store brands to draw foot traffic. E-Mart, the country’s largest hypermarket chain, significantly expanded its in-store brand ratio from 30 percent to 70 percent when it reopened a megastore in the western port city of Incheon in March 2023, featuring well-known names

April 11, 2025

Studio Meta-K secures investment for advanced AI content production

SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - Studio Meta-K, a South Korean technology startup specializing in artificial intelligence-powered media production, has raised 2 billion won, or approximately $13.7 million, in new funding from Korea Investment Partners, the company announced Thursday. The funds will be used to bolster the firm’s AI development initiatives, enhance content production infrastructure, and support the rollout of global marketing strategies, according to a company statement.

April 10, 2025

Stocks rally as tariff concerns ease

SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - South Korean stocks soared on Thursday, recouping recent losses after President Donald Trump announced a 90-day postponement of planned tariffs. The benchmark KOSPI index surged 6.6 percent to close at 2,445.06, marking its strongest single-day gain in months. The tech-heavy KOSDAQ index also posted a robust advance, rising 5.97 percent to finish at 681.79. Foreign investors purchased roughly 1.1 trillion won ($753 million) worth of stocks and derivatives.

April 10, 2025

Kia to enter US pickup truck market

SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - Kia Corp. announced Thursday it will invest 42 trillion won, or about $31.5 billion, over the next five years as it ramps up its transition to electric vehicles and expands its global manufacturing footprint. The investment, disclosed during the company’s annual CEO Investor Day, represents a 10 percent increase over Kia’s previous five-year plan and is aimed at boosting annual production capacity to 4.25 million vehicles by 2030. The figure avera

April 10, 2025

Trump scales back tariffs for allies, escalates trade pressure on China

SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - President Donald Trump abruptly scaled back his sweeping tariff plan on April 9, temporarily exempting about 70 countries from the brunt of his trade actions while dramatically escalating pressure on China with a punitive 125 percent tariff. The policy reversal came just 13 hours after the White House enacted a set of country-specific reciprocal tariffs that rattled global markets and drew criticism from U.S. allies. Under the revised framework, trading pa

April 10, 2025

Korean chipmakers on edge as Trump's agenda roils global supply chain

Editor's Note: This is the third in a series of stories examining how the Trump administration's economic policies affect South Korea's key industries. From trade restrictions to shifting global supply chains, we explore the challenges businesses faced, how they adapted, and the lasting effects on the country's economy. SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - South Korea's semiconductor companies are navigating a new wave of uncertainty as U.S. President Donald Trump escalates h

April 10, 2025

From pizza to cream buns, baseball-themed treats soar

SEOUL, April 9 (AJP) - On a sunny April afternoon, the stands at Jamsil Baseball Stadium pulse with energy. Fans in team jerseys cheer between bites of cream-filled buns, and vendors weave through the crowd with boxes of limited-edition pizza shaped for one-handed snacking — perfect for keeping the other hand free to wave rally towels. This is baseball season in South Korea. But beyond the roar of the crowd and the crack of the bat, another game is unfolding — one being

April 9, 2025

Fed may accelerate rate cuts as concerns over trade war mount

SEOUL, April 9 (AJP) - The U.S. Federal Reserve may move more swiftly to cut interest rates amid mounting concerns over a potential economic slowdown, a shift driven in part by the Trump administration’s tariff policy, according to the Bank of Korea said in a report. Several major investment banks, including Barclays, Goldman Sachs, Nomura, and Wells Fargo, have revised their outlooks to reflect a greater likelihood of rate reductions in 2025, the BOK's New York office sai

April 9, 2025