news highlight

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  Hanwha Solutions trims capital raise to 1.8 trillion won after regulator pushback SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - Hanwha Solutions announced it will scale back its planned rights offering to 1.8 trillion won ($1.21 billion) from an initial 2.4 trillion won, retreating from a contentious fundraising plan that drew a rare regulatory rebuke and sharp criticism from shareholders. The revised offering, approved by the company's board on Friday, comes just eight days after the Financial Supervisory Service ordered Hanwha Solutions to refile its securities registration, cit April 17, 2026
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  Asian shares edge lower ahead of U.S.-Iran talks; Samsung Electro-Mechanics hits record SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - Asian markets traded lower Friday as recent rally momentum faded, with investors weighing mixed signals from the Gulf over whether the conflict may begin to wind down through renewed U.S.-Iran talks and separate negotiations between Israel and Lebanon. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.98 percent to 58,937.04, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index lost 0.81 percent to 26,180.23 and China’s Shanghai Composite slipped 0.18 percent to 4,048.38. South Korea& April 17, 2026
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  KOSPI flirts around record highs amid signs of de-escalating Gulf tensions SEOUL, April 16 (AJP) -Korean stocks extended gains Thursday, with the benchmark KOSPI hovering near a record close on signs of de-escalating Gulf tensions and renewed institutional buying. The KOSPI rose 2.2 percent to close at 6,226.10, a tad below last record finish of 6,307.27 on Feb. 26. Institutions led the advance, purchasing 1.10 trillion won($746.7 million), while foreign investors added 464.4 billion won. Retail investors sold 1.81 trillion won, locking in gains afte April 16, 2026
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  Asian markets rise on hopes for upcoming US–Iran talks as KOSPI stays above 6,000 SEOUL, April 16 (AJP) - Asian markets opened broadly upbeat on Thursday as hopes for a possible end to the conflict in the Middle East started to rise ahead of another round of talks between the U.S. and Iran in Pakistan this month. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1.73 percent to 59,139.58. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 0.73 percent to 26,137.49, and China's Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.17 percent to 4,033.92. South Korea's benchmark KOSPI also extended its gains, r April 16, 2026
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  Foreigners dump over $30 bn KOSPI shares and turn net bond sellers in March SEOUL, April 16 (AJP) -Foreign investors staged a record monthly sell-off in South Korean equities in March amid risk aversion and concerns over the energy-dependent economy from the outbreak of the conflicts in the Gulf and de-facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Financial Supervisory Service on Thursday, foreigners net sold 43.5 trillion won ($31.8 billion) worth of locally listed shares last month, more than doubling from February’s 19.6 trillion won out April 16, 2026
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  KOSPI recovers above 6,000 for first time since Trump's war in Iran SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI closed at 6,091.39 on Wednesday, up 2.07 percent from a day earlier, regaining the 6,000 mark for the first time in about 30 trading sessions. The index had last closed above that threshold on Feb. 27, when it was at 6,244.13, just a day before the U.S. and Israel launched joint airstrikes on Iran, throwing the already volatile Middle East region into deeper conflict. The gain was driven by foreign investors, who bought ab April 15, 2026
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  BOK nominee Shin faces intense scrutiny over foreign assets, family issues SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) — The nominee to head the Bank of Korea (BOK) came under intense scrutiny Wednesday as opposition lawmakers questioned his foreign-denominated wealth and family-related issues, raising concerns over potential conflicts of interest. Lawmakers on the National Assembly’s Finance and Economy Committee focused on nominee Shin Hyun-song’s asset structure, noting that the central bank chief is tasked with stabilizing the Korean won and the housing April 15, 2026
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  Record 34 listed firms post over 1 trillion won in operating profit last year, report finds SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - South Korea's top 1,000 listed companies saw their operating profits increase sharply last year, reaching the highest level since 2000, according to a report released by the Korea CXO Institute on Wednesday. Their combined operating profit stood at 189.23 trillion Korean won (about US$126.15 billion), up more than 40 trillion won or 27.7 percent, from 148.28 trillion won a year earlier, as the number of companies posting over 1 trillion won in operating April 15, 2026
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  KOSPI tops 6,100; Asian markets rise on renewed U.S.-Iran talks hopes SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - South Korea’s KOSPI climbed above the 6,100 level on Wednesday, as the benchmark index rode easing war concerns to resume its record-breaking rally that had been disrupted by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. The main index rose 2.96 percent to 6,144.26, while the KOSDAQ gained 1.93 percent to 1,143.49 as of 10:29 a.m. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.15 percent to 58,542.14. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 1.00 percent to April 15, 2026