KOSPI tops 4,150 as Dow hits record high SEOUL, December 12 (AJP) - Asian stocks in early Friday session tracked the mixed overnight performance in the United States, where the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit another record high even as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq slipped. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI rose 1.1 percent to 4,154.47, while the KOSDAQ edged up 0.2 percent to 936.76 as of 9:49 a.m. Institutional investors led the market with 302 billion won ($205 million) in net purchases. Foreign investors sold 64.8 billion won, and retail investors offloaded 235.6 billion won. Most heavyweights advanced. Samsung Electronics gained 0.8 percent to 108,100 won, and SK hynix rose 2 percent to 576,000 won. Samsung Biologics added 1 percent, Hyundai Motor climbed 1.7 percent, and Kia gained 1.6 percent. Hanwha Aerospace jumped 4.8 percent to 947,000 won, while KB Financial Group rose 1 percent. LG Energy Solution slipped 0.9 percent to 442,000 won. One of the sharpest moves came from Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, which plunged 22 percent to 491,500 won after surging 28 percent the previous day. Analysts attributed the volatility to short-term flows triggered by Samsung Group–linked ETFs increasing the insurer’s weighting during rebalancing. Entertainment stocks posted modest gains: HYBE rose 1.7 percent, JYP Entertainment 0.3 percent, SM Entertainment 0.1 percent, and YG Entertainment 0.5 percent. On the KOSDAQ, top-cap Alteogen fell 4.3 percent, while newly listed QuadMedicine surged 47 percent to 22,050 won, far above its IPO price of 15,000 won. Overnight in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 1.3 percent to a record 48,704.01. The S&P 500 inched up 0.2 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.3 percent. Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.7 percent to 50,500.23. All five of Japan’s top-cap stocks were higher: Toyota surged 3 percent, Mitsubishi UFJ rose 2 percent, Sony and SoftBank Group both added 0.9 percent, and Hitachi climbed 2.6 percent. Nintendo rose 2.4 percent and Honda advanced 1.2 percent. Expectations are strengthening for a Bank of Japan rate hike at its December 19 meeting. A Nikkei survey released Thursday showed all 29 economists polled anticipate a move to 0.75 percent, which would mark Japan’s first policy rate above 0.5 percent since 1995. In China, the Shanghai Composite slipped 0.5 percent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.7 percent. Xinhua reported that the Central Economic Work Conference, chaired by President Xi Jinping earlier this week, called for more proactive fiscal policy, a moderately accommodative monetary stance, and a renewed emphasis on boosting domestic demand next year. The closed-door meeting sets China’s economic policy direction for the coming year. 2025-12-12 11:38:42

Seoul aims to correct "misunderstanding" in public policy with live government briefings SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - South Korean bureaucrats are often “misunderstood” as lazy or corrupt, but if such perceptions reflected reality, the country could never have advanced to the level admired by much of the world, President Lee Jae Myung said Thursday as he addressed government officials at the Sejong Government Complex for the first time since taking office in June. Again for the first time, each ministry and public office’s briefing to the president was broadcast live. “There is no need to be nervous. This will be fun,” Lee said, speaking casually to stone-faced senior officials appearing before the president and cameras. Koo Yun-cheol, deputy prime minister for the economy, reported that the government aims to lift Korea’s potential growth rate above 1.8 percent next year, emphasizing policies designed to spur corporate investment. Lee also ordered faster progress from a task force dedicated to “rationalizing punishment for economic wrongdoings,” arguing that Korean criminal law too often penalizes working-level employees rather than primary beneficiaries of misconduct. “Somewhere called ‘pang’ has broken regulations this time,” he said, referring obliquely to Coupang, which is under investigation after a massive data breach affecting more than 30 million users. Lee said such irregularities persist because penalties remain weak. Ahead of the session, ministries received internal guidelines stating that briefings would be “principally live-streamed, with Deputy Minister and Director General-level officials in attendance, and exceptions for non-disclosure made only when necessary—for example, on diplomatic or security grounds.” The televised format is part of the presidential office’s broader push toward what it describes as “discussion-based and participatory governance.” The shift has changed work rhythms in both Seoul and Sejong. Weekend work has become routine, officials say, as ministries prepare for live policy briefings. Senior officials at the Director-General level and above, who may be questioned directly by the president, are memorizing data and rehearsing answers to anticipated questions. Many are making extra efforts to avoid misstatements or hesitation in front of both the president and the public. This year’s briefing also breaks bureaucratic precedent. Such sessions are traditionally held at the start of the year, but the administration opted to convene the meeting at year’s end as part of its transparency initiative. The live-briefing series spans 19 ministries, five departments, 18 agencies, seven commissions, and 228 public institutions, along with six related organizations, including the Financial Supervisory Service. Sessions will rotate between Seoul, Sejong, and Busan in the coming weeks. 2025-12-11 16:50:46

Asian markets respond lukewarmly to Fed's widely expected rate cut SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - Asian markets reacted lukewarmly to the U.S. Federal Reserve’s widely expected rate cut on Thursday, underscoring lingering uncertainty over the future path of U.S. interest rates. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI gained 0.7 percent to 4,162.51 and the KOSDAQ advanced 0.3 percent to 937.79 as of 9:40 a.m. As expected, the Federal Open Market Committee lowered the target range for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 3.50–3.75 percent overnight. With the December move largely priced in, investors shifted their focus to the Fed’s forward guidance and comments from Chair Jerome Powell. Han Ji-young, an analyst at Kiwoom Securities, said the outcome was “less hawkish than the market feared.” Powell indicated that the current rate is near the upper end of the Fed’s estimate of a neutral range, a remark investors took as leaving room for further cuts. In Seoul, Samsung Electronics rose 1.5 percent to 109,600 won ($74.6), while SK hynix edged down 0.5 percent to 584,000 won. Other gainers included Samsung Biologics, up 1 percent to 1,681,000 won; Hyundai Motor, up 1 percent to 305,500 won; Kia, up 0.8 percent to 124,400 won; Doosan Enerbility, up 1.2 percent to 77,700 won; KB Financial, up 1.8 percent to 126,700 won; Celltrion, up 1.4 percent to 188,300 won; and Samsung C&T, up 2.6 percent to 254,000 won. On the downside, LG Energy Solution fell 0.4 percent to 439,750 won, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries slipped 0.5 percent to 568,000 won, and Hanwha Aerospace declined 1.3 percent to 911,000 won. The KOSDAQ index advanced, but its three largest constituents by market capitalization all declined. Altigen, the largest, fell 0.7 percent to 453,500 won; EcoProBM, the second largest, dropped 1.8 percent to 176,200 won; and ABL Bio, the third largest, slipped 0.5 percent to 202,000 won. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 inched up 0.1 percent to 50,645.57. Among major stocks by market capitalization, Toyota, the largest, rose 0.6 percent to 3,134 yen ($20). Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, the second largest, added 0.2 percent to 2,473.5 yen; Hitachi, the fifth largest, rose 0.2 percent to 4,897 yen; Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, the sixth largest, gained 0.8 percent to 4,898 yen; Fast Retailing, the parent company of Uniqlo and the seventh largest, was up 0.3 percent to 56,260 yen; Advantest, the eighth largest, climbed 3.9 percent to 20,935 yen; and Itochu, the tenth largest, advanced 1.4 percent to 9,669 yen. Sony Group, the third largest, slipped 0.5 percent to 4,161 yen. SoftBank Group, the fourth largest, dropped 5.1 percent to 17,710 yen, while Tokyo Electron, the ninth largest, fell 1 percent to 32,800 yen. China’s Shanghai Composite Index inched down 0.02 percent, or 0.67 points, to 3,899.83. 2025-12-11 11:39:08

Asian markets hardly move ahead of Fed decision SEOUL, December 10 (AJP) - Asian markets barely budged Wednesday as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s policy decision. In Seoul, the KOSPI slipped 0.2 percent to 4,135.00, extending its decline for a second session this week, while the KOSDAQ gained 0.4 percent to 935.00. Institutional investors unloaded 344.3 billion won ($234 million), offset by 296.4 billion won in foreign buying and 18.6 billion won from retail investors. Samsung Electronics fell 0.4 percent to 108,000 won ($73.4), but SK hynix jumped 3.7 percent to 587,000 won as foreign investors piled in following reports that the chipmaker is considering listing its treasury shares as American depositary receipts in the United States. An ADR allows U.S. investors to trade foreign stocks through certificates issued by a U.S. depository institution. Samsung SDI added 2.4 percent to 317,500 won after reports it had secured a battery supply deal worth about 2 trillion won ($1.36 billion) in the U.S. But most other large caps weakened. LG Energy Solution slipped 0.5 percent to 441,500 won, Hyundai Motor fell 1.5 percent to 302,500 won, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries eased 1 percent to 571,000 won, Hanwha Aerospace sank 3.9 percent to 923,000 won and Naver dropped 1.4 percent to 244,500 won. Entertainment stocks rose across the board, with HYBE up 2.8 percent to 299,000 won, SM Entertainment up 2.2 percent to 103,800 won, JYP Entertainment gaining 0.2 percent to 67,900 won and YG Entertainment rising 0.7 percent to 62,200 won. The Fed is widely expected to cut its target rate range — now at 3.75 percent to 4.00 percent — by 25 basis points. Japan’s Nikkei 225 inched down 0.1 percent to 50,602.80. Toyota Motor rose 1.6 percent to 3,116 yen ($19.9), while Honda Motor climbed 3.3 percent to 1,575.5 yen. But most other market heavyweights slipped: Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group fell 0.7 percent, SoftBank Group lost 0.7 percent, Sony Group dropped 2.9 percent and Hitachi dipped 0.5 percent. Nintendo retreated 2.7 percent, while Canon gained 2.1 percent. Bloomberg reported that Osaka — Japan’s second-largest economic hub and long a beneficiary of Chinese tourist inflows — is now facing sharp fallout from the slump in Chinese visitors. The Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau said hotel cancellation rates have reached 50 to 70 percent, with Namba, the city’s main entertainment district, hit the hardest. Luxury spending by Chinese tourists is projected to fall to $40 million to $60 million per month, about half previous levels. China’s Shanghai Composite Index edged down 0.2 percent to 3,900.50. Nomura’s chief China economist Ting Lu warned this week that Beijing must face the depth of its property-sector debt woes as export growth is expected to slow to around 4 percent next year. Lu expects the government to lower its official growth target from about 5 percent to 4.5–5.0 percent in 2026. Nomura projects China’s GDP will expand 4.3 percent in 2026. 2025-12-10 17:16:44

Year-end IPO buzz in Seoul preludes brisk H1 2026 SEOUL, December 10 (AJP) - South Korea’s IPO market, dormant for much of the year, is ending 2025 in a surprising burst of activity, with 10 companies going public in December alone. The pattern runs counter to the usual cycle, where listings cluster in the first half and taper off as investors and bankers wind down for the holidays. Instead, this December has emerged as the busiest in recent years, up from six IPOs in both 2023 and 2024. The reason is simple: demand is hot. Of the 12 companies that debuted on the KOSPI and KOSDAQ since October, eight more than doubled their IPO price on day one — a performance that has revived optimism across the primary market. AimedBio, which listed on Dec. 4, quadrupled its IPO price in intraday trading and briefly ranked 19th in KOSDAQ market capitalization, the highest among this year’s newcomers. As of 2:24 p.m. Wednesday, its shares were trading at 47,750 won ($32.5), placing the biotech firm 20th on the index. TeraView, which went public Tuesday, also doubled its IPO price and hit the daily upper limit of 20,800 won on Wednesday, after closing its debut session at 16,000 won — twice the offering price of 8,000 won. The Cambridge-based firm is the first British company to list on KOSDAQ, providing advanced inspection equipment used across multiple industries. Another new entrant, Pescaro, surged to 47,000 won shortly after its Wednesday debut — nearly triple its offering price of 15,500 won — and closed at 27,100 won, up 74.8 percent from its IPO price. The company specializes in integrated vehicle security platforms. More listings are scheduled this week. Aegis, a Daegu-based digital platform company that creates “digital earth” replicas of the physical world, will debut Thursday after pricing its IPO at the top of the range, 15,000 won. On Friday, Quadmedicine, a medical technology company focused on microneedle platforms for transdermal drug delivery, will enter the market. Next week brings another packed slate: TMC on Dec. 15, Acryl on Dec. 16, Naraspace Technology on Dec. 17, and Algenomics on Dec. 18. Capping the year is one of the most anticipated offerings, Semifive, slated to list on Dec. 29. The design solutions company enables clients to accelerate custom semiconductor development through automation-enabled design infrastructure and proprietary IP. Analysts expect Semifive to be among the most significant KOSDAQ debuts of 2025. Eugene Investment & Securities analyst Park Jong-seon said global demand for customized ASICs — especially for artificial intelligence — is beginning to surge, and noted that Semifive differentiates itself through design experience with major tech firms and strong platform capabilities. The momentum is likely to carry into early 2026. The pipeline includes heavyweight candidates such as Musinsa, Goodai Global, Olive Young, and K-Bank, pointing to a brisk first half as Korea’s capital markets regain their appetite for new listings. 2025-12-10 15:59:23

Asian stocks mostly flat ahead of FOMC as caution builds SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - Asian stocks were largely unchanged on Tuesday as investors stayed cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve’s final policy meeting of the year. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI slipped 0.3 percent to 4,143.55, while the KOSDAQ added 0.4 percent to 931.35. Market sentiment was subdued as traders awaited the outcome of the two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting beginning Tuesday U.S. time, where policymakers will decide the December rate move. The KOSPI retreated after two sessions of gains, dragged lower by heavyweight tech shares Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. Samsung slid 0.9 percent to 108,400 won ($73.8), and SK hynix dropped 1.9 percent to 566,000 won. LG Energy Solution, the third-largest stock by market cap, fell 1.8 percent to 443,500 won. Autos also weakened. Hyundai Motor declined 2.7 percent to 307,000 won, Kia slipped 1.4 percent to 123,800 won, and KB Financial Group lost 1.5 percent to 126,000 won. Entertainment stocks were mixed to slightly higher. HYBE rose 0.7 percent to 291,000 won, JYP Entertainment edged up 0.3 percent to 67,800 won, and YG Entertainment added 0.5 percent to 61,800 won, while SM Entertainment dipped 0.4 percent to 101,600 won. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 inched up 0.1 percent to 50,655.10 as large-cap shares moved unevenly. Toyota Motor, the index’s biggest constituent, rose 0.2 percent to 3,066 yen ($19.6), and SoftBank Group gained 0.8 percent to 18,800 yen. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group slipped 0.5 percent to 2,486 yen, and Nintendo tumbled 3.4 percent to 11,900 yen. Canon climbed 1.3 percent to 4,635 yen, and Panasonic Holdings advanced 1.5 percent to 1,886.5 yen. NHK on Monday released a survey of 1,192 adults showing that 54 percent were concerned that China–Japan tensions could negatively affect the Japanese economy—14 percent saying they were “very worried” and 40 percent “somewhat worried.” In China, the Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.4 percent to 3,909.52. China’s exports rose more than expected in November, according to customs data released Monday. Shipments increased 5.9 percent from a year earlier to $330.35 billion, beating economists’ forecasts of a 3.8 percent gain in a Reuters poll and 4 percent in a Bloomberg survey. The country’s trade surplus for January–November reached $1.08 trillion, topping the $1 trillion mark for the first time on record. Some Chinese economists say the surplus is now too large and is weighing on domestic demand. Zhang Jun, dean of the School of Economics at Fudan University, said in a recent speech that China should consider narrowing the surplus—and even running a deficit in the long term—to stimulate consumption. 2025-12-09 17:37:36

Korean memory makers eye bumper year to extend into 2026 SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix Inc., enjoying their best-yet bumper cycle, are set to reap more than $20 billion in combined operating income for the quarter ending December, according to upgrades by brokerage houses following stronger-than-expected price gains in memory chips from mass-market to high end. Kiwoom Securities on Monday projected SK hynix’s fourth-quarter operating profit at 16.2 trillion won ($11 billion), about 1.6 trillion won above the market consensus estimate of 14.6 trillion won. Its mainstay DRAM business, led by high-bandwidth memory (HBM), is expected to deliver 15.3 trillion won, while NAND flash profit is seen at 900 billion won—up 39 percent and 170 percent, respectively, from the previous quarter. KB Securities projected on Tuesday that Samsung Electronics will record an operating profit of 19 trillion won in the fourth quarter, a 192 percent jump from a year earlier, comfortably beating the market consensus of 14.9 trillion won. Operating profit from the chip division is expected to surge fivefold year on year and double from the previous quarter to 15.1 trillion won, with DRAM operating margins improving to 53 percent from 32 percent in the same period last year. Industry watchers predict the red-hot earnings streak to extend into 2026, citing severe supply constraints across memory products including mainstream DRAM. As major cloud service providers rush to secure memory components for AI data centers, prices of HBM, DRAM, and NAND all continue to push north. Financial data provider FnGuide estimates Samsung Electronics’ 2026 operating profit will exceed 80 trillion won ($54.3 billion), while SK hynix’s is forecast at 73.24 trillion won ($49.7 billion). The projections suggest the two Korean companies are heading into one of the most profitable stretches in global semiconductor history. “Samsung has reportedly raised contract prices for server DRAM by 60 percent to 80 percent in the fourth quarter,” said Kim Dong-won, head of research at KB Securities. “Despite these steep hikes, many customers other than big tech companies haven’t been able to secure sufficient supply since November, suggesting prices will continue to climb aggressively.” The surge in chip demand is likely to intensify as Google’s latest AI model, Gemini 3.0, equipped with Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), enters direct competition with Nvidia’s GPUs. Analysts say the rise of such new architectures signals an expansion of the semiconductor market and sustained demand for high-performance memory chips. 2025-12-09 16:54:02

For South Korean stars, fame comes with a lasting moral burden SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - Comedian Park Na-rae has become the latest South Korean celebrity to disappear from public view after failing to withstand the country’s notoriously unforgiving ethical expectations for public figures. After a monthlong barrage of online criticism and allegations of workplace mistreatment from former managers, Park announced Monday she would “step away” from entertainment until the controversy is fully resolved. Her departure leaves a slate of major shows abruptly vacant — including MBC’s “I Live Alone” and “Where Is My Home,” tvN’s “Amazing Saturday,” and JTBC’s YouTube series “Narae-sik.” MBC also canceled production of its upcoming variety program “I’m Excited Too,” which had planned to feature Park as a lead. The scandal escalated after entertainment outlet Dispatch reported Thursday that Park’s former managers filed a provisional seizure application against her property at the Seoul Western District Court and are preparing a damages suit, citing alleged workplace bullying, verbal abuse, “special assault,” and improper requests such as picking up medical prescriptions. Park’s fall comes amid a widening wave of celebrity reckonings. Just days earlier, actor Cho Jin-woong admitted he spent time in a juvenile detention center for crimes committed as a teenager — a revelation that immediately put the airing of tvN’s highly anticipated “Signal 2” in doubt despite the series already being completed. Comedian Cho Se-ho is also under intense scrutiny after online posts linked him to an organization behind illegal online gambling operations. A Fame Economy Built on Morality The swift collapses reflect something deeply embedded in South Korean popular culture: celebrities are expected to embody a standard of moral cleanliness that far exceeds that of ordinary citizens. A 2024 Korea Research survey found: 71 percent of Koreans consider entertainers to be public figures, second only to politicians (90%). Nearly 9 in 10 expect celebrities to demonstrate modesty and good manners, 88 percent believe the public has a right to know about alleged drug use or involvement in illegal sex trade, 82 percent say infidelity or bullying should be exposed, and more than 75 percent say even “minor offenses” such as public drunkenness justify public disclosure. This moral rigor is part of what Professor Shim Seok-tae, chair of the Korean Society for Media Law and professor at Semyung Graduate School of Journalism, calls “a society that consumes morality.” “Entertainers make a living off people’s curiosity. Popularity isn’t a right — it’s something they earn and must maintain,” Shim said. “The more they attract attention, the more people feel entitled to know about them. It’s a form of voluntary exposure.” He notes that modern entertainment — reality TV, vlogs, Instagram — thrives on curated intimacy. Home tours, daily routines, and personal confessions become commodities, blurring the boundary between private and public selves. “It’s hard to say public interest in their private lives is always wrong,” Shim added. “The problem is excess — when coverage becomes invasive rather than relevant to their public image or work.” The Higher the Fame, the Heavier the Fall The moral demand is not merely theoretical. It has produced devastating consequences. Actor Lee Sun-kyun, celebrated globally for his role in Parasite, took his own life in 2023 amid a ferocious media storm over drug allegations — a sharp rupture from the “gentle, earnest” persona he embodied in “My Mister.” Cho Jin-woong’s case carries cultural weight of its own. “Cho wasn’t an ordinary actor — he is associated with works tied to Korea’s independence fighters,” Shim noted, implying that the moral expectations rise further when a star’s repertoire intertwines with national narrative. South Koreans also do not easily forgive or forget: Actress Kim Min-hee has not appeared in commercial films or advertisements since her affair with director Hong Sang-soo became public in 2016. Actor Yoo Ah-in has been unable to work domestically for nearly three years due to ongoing drug-related investigations. In each case, an individual controversy transformed into a career-halting judgment rendered by the broader public. Cultural Identity, Trust, and K-pop’s Global Legacy At its core, Korea’s moral scrutiny reflects deeper questions about representation, aspiration, and trust. Celebrities here are not treated merely as entertainers; they are brand ambassadors, moral symbols, and often extensions of a collective national identity. This perception has long underpinned K-pop’s universal appeal — discipline, civility, decency, and emotional intelligence — values that are marketed globally as quintessentially Korean. But the double-edged sword is evident. “Our society’s double standards are part of the problem,” Shim said. “We consume scandal like entertainment, yet insist the entertainers themselves remain spotless. The same attention that creates stars can also kill them.” In an economy of fame where intimacy is currency and morality is a performance, the price of being famous in South Korea remains extraordinarily high — and increasingly, unsustainable. 2025-12-08 17:59:32

KOSPI closes higher on LGES battery deal while Chinese and Japanese markets stay flat SEOUL, December 8 (AJP) - The South Korean stock market saw gains on Monday, while other major Asian markets including Japan and China, remained flat. South Korea's benchmark KOSPI rose 1.3 percent to close at 4,154.85, while the junior KOSDAQ edged up 0.3 percent to finish at 927.79. Memory chip giant Samsung Electronics gained 0.9 percent, closing at 109,400 won (US$75), and rival SK hynix rose 5.2 percent to 573,000 won. LG Energy Solution, the third-largest company in terms of market capitalization, climbed 5.6 percent to 450,000 won, apparently buoyed by its announcement of signing a major supply deal with German automaker Mercedes-Benz AG worth 2.06 trillion won ($1.4 billion). The deal, which covers markets including North America and Europe, will run from March 2028 to June 2035. Despite the overall rise of KOSPI, stocks of major talent mills all declined, with HYBE falling 0.3 percent to 289,000 won, JYP Entertainment 1.2 percent to 67,600 won, SM Entertainment 2.3 percent to 102,000 won, and YG Entertainment 1 percent to 61,500 won. Notably, eco-friendly battery maker EcoPro's stock hit a new 52-week high during mid-trading, which many speculated was driven by the anticipated move of the tech-heavy KOSDAQ's top-ranked Alteogen to the KOSPI. This sparked investor interest in the No. 2 and No. 3 stocks — EcoPro BM and EcoPro — as they were expected to become the next leading stocks. EcoPro BM surged 8.5 percent to 173,300 won, while its holding company, EcoPro, jumped 21.3 percent to 117,500 won. Meanwhile, in Japan, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.2 percent to 50,581.94. Among major Japanese firms, Toyota rose 0.9 percent to 3,060 yen ($20), and Hitachi gained 0.6 percent to 4,911 yen. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Japan's second-largest company by market value, fell 1.2 percent to 2,498.5 yen. SoftBank dropped 3.3 percent to 18,655 yen, and Sony edged down 0.7 percent to 4,300 yen. Looking at other major market players, Nintendo fell 1.4 percent to 12,320 yen, Honda rose 0.6 percent to 1,528.5 yen, and Canon gained 1.0 percent, ending at 4,576 yen. In China, the Shanhai Composite Index gained 0.5 percent to 3,924.08. 2025-12-08 17:58:33

Korea's LGES lands $1.4 bn EV battery deal with Mercedes-Benz SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - South Korea's top battery maker LG Energy Solution (LGES) has signed a 2.06 trillion won ($1.4 billion) electric-vehicle battery supply contract with Mercedes-Benz AG, extending the company’s streak of securing multi-billion-dollar global deals this year as automakers race to lock in long-term cell capacity. According to LGES’ regulatory filing on Monday, the contract covers battery supply to Mercedes-Benz from March 2028 through June 2035, spanning both Europe and North America, the two fastest-growing EV markets. The deal amounts to roughly 8 percent of LGES’ latest annual revenue of 25.62 trillion won, based on its 2024 consolidated financial statements. At 10:10 a.m. shares of LGES jumped 4.5 percent to 445,000 won($303), far outperforming KOSPI gain of 0.2 percent. LGES said the contract value, translated at the exchange rate of 1,471.5 won per dollar on Dec. 5, may be adjusted as details, including total volume and duration, remain subject to further negotiation with the German automaker. The agreement contains no upfront deposits or advance payments, the filing added. The Mercedes-Benz deal adds to a series of multibillion-dollar contracts LG Energy Solution has secured in 2025, underscoring its strengthened global positioning as the EV market bifurcates between premium automakers and cost-driven Chinese competitors. LGED maintains third rank in global EV battery market, following Chinese behemoths CATL and BYD. Its share however dropped to 9.3 percent as of October this year from 11.1 percent in the same period a year ago, according to Korean market research firm SNE Research. Major LGES contracts announced so far this year include $4.3 billion battery supply deal with an undisclosed party in the United States in July, presumed to be Tesla, aside from exclusive U.S supply contracts with Hyundai Motor Group, Honda Motor, and General Motors. 2025-12-08 10:23:41