Journalist

Yoo Joonha
  • HOT STOCK: Hopes of China K-pop ban easing fizzle, sending shares lower
    HOT STOCK: Hopes of China K-pop ban easing fizzle, sending shares lower SEOUL, January 05 (AJP) -South Korea’s K-pop sector retreated Monday as high expectations for an easing of China’s long-standing de facto ban on Korean entertainment though the momentum of President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit to Beijing fizzled out. Shares that had rallied on optimism over renewed access to the Chinese market reversed sharply. HYBE fell 2.5 percent, JYP Entertainment slid 6.2 percent, and YG Entertainment dropped 7.5 percent. SM Entertainment posted the steepest decline, plunging 10.1 percent and erasing a large portion of recent gains tied to China-reopening hopes. The retreat followed comments by presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik, who said the “lifting of the unofficial ban on Korean culture is expected to take some time,” dampening expectations that concerts and broadcasts would resume in the near term. Among the roughly 200-member business delegation accompanying Lee’s trip were entertainment industry figures, including Son Kyung-shik, chairman of CJ Group, and SM Entertainment CEO Jang Cheol-hyuk—fueling earlier speculation that progress on cultural exchanges could be imminent. Entertainment stocks had surged ahead of the visit on prospects of concerts, broadcasts and online content distribution resuming in China, one of the industry’s most lucrative overseas markets. Despite the sell-off, Choi Min-ha, an equity analyst at Samsung Securities, said fundamentals for leading entertainment companies remain intact, supported by robust global demand for K-pop, strong overseas touring and expanding digital content businesses. Monday’s move suggests profit-taking and a reset of timelines rather than a reassessment of the sector’s long-term prospects, he added. 2026-01-05 17:21:21
  • Korean and Japanese shares roar ahead into 2026s first full week
    Korean and Japanese shares roar ahead into 2026's first full week SEOUL, January 05 (AJP) -South Korean and Japanese equities surged into the first full trading week of 2026, outpacing most Asian peers as investors rotated into large-cap exporters and technology stocks, while regional markets elsewhere remained cautious amid uncertainty stemming from recent upheaval in Venezuela. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI climbed 1.9 percent to 4,393.5 points as of 10:20 a.m. Monday. The tech-heavy KOSDAQ added 0.6 percent to 950.98. Overall market gains were measured rather than euphoric, but buying interest remained firm in heavyweight exporters and chipmakers. Samsung Electronics jumped 5.1 percent to 134,950 won ($93.3), while SK hynix rose 1.7 percent to 690,000 won, as expectations built ahead of Samsung’s fourth-quarter earnings guidance due later this week. Battery and industrial names also advanced. LG Energy Solution, the country’s third-largest company by market value, gained 1.8 percent to 367,500 won. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries edged up 0.79 percent to 508,000 won, while Hanwha Aerospace surged 4.1 percent to 985,000 won. Korea Zinc also added 0.7 percent to 1,295,000 won. By contrast, entertainment stocks slid amid speculation that Beijing’s de facto restrictions on Korean cultural content were unlikely to ease following the Korea–China summit. HYBE fell 2.6 percent to 336,000 won, JYP Entertainment dropped 5.7 percent to 73,200 won, SM Entertainment slid 9.2 percent to 120,200 won, and YG Entertainment lost 6.7 percent to 65,700 won. In Tokyo, Japanese stocks also opened the year strongly. The Nikkei 225 jumped 2.6 percent to 51,670, supported by gains in autos, financials and technology-linked shares. Among major heavyweights, Toyota Motor rose 1.9 percent to 3,420 yen ($21.8), Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group gained 2.1 percent to 2,544 yen, and SoftBank Group advanced 4.4 percent to 4,597 yen. Elsewhere in Asia, gains were more restrained as investors assessed broader geopolitical risks. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite edged up 0.7 percent to 3,997.5, while Hang Seng Index added 0.2 percent to 26,381. 2026-01-05 11:41:49