news highlight

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  KOSPI edges up as SK hynix scraps Solidigm IPO plans SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) recovered from an opening loss of 4.1 percent to close at its session high on Friday, after SK hynix shelved plans for a U.S. listing of its Solidigm unit. The main index in Seoul added 16.53 points or 0.3 percent to close at 5,550.30 points. SK hynix jumped 4.4 percent to 1,277,000 won (US$964), far ahead of Samsung Electronics, which edged up 0.5 percent to 215,500 won. Foreign inv October 23, 2026
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  Korea's bank loan delinquency rate hits nearly 10-year high SEOUL, October 23 (AJP)— South Korean banks' loan delinquency rate edged up to a fresh high in nearly a decade in August, as corporate delinquencies and persistently high interest rates added to repayment pressures, regulatory data showed Friday. The delinquency rate on won-denominated loans stood at 0.69 percent at the end of August, up from 0.63 percent a month earlier and 0.61 percent a year earlier, according to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). The reading was October 23, 2026
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  KOSPI sinks below 5,400 as Meta's AI spending fuels tech selloff SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) — South Korean stocks fell sharply at Friday's open, sending the benchmark KOSPI below 5,400 as concerns over the mounting costs of artificial intelligence (AI) investments triggered another selloff in semiconductor shares. The KOSPI stood at 5,353.48 as of 9:40 a.m., down 3.26 percent from previous close of 5,533.77. The index opened 2.36 percent lower at 5,403.17 before extending its decline. The junior KOSDAQ dropped 3.45 percent to 737.76, e October 23, 2026
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  Korea's chip boom draws Hong Kong investors into the bust SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - South Korean chip stocks have brought joy and now grief to thousands of retail investors, and many in Hong Kong would sympathize. Hong Kong ranked as the second-largest source of foreign net buying in Korean listed stocks in the first eight months of 2026, behind France, with net purchases of 6.45 trillion won ($4.83 billion), according to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). It ranked sixth for the whole of 2025. U.S. and British investors, meanwhile, October 22, 2026
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  Regenerative medicine firm soars above IPO price on KOSDAQ debut SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - Regenerative medicine firm MS Bio more than doubled from its initial public offering (IPO) price on its KOSDAQ debut Thursday before paring gains later in the day. The stock climbed as high as 19,650 won (US$14.81), about 2.5 times its IPO price of 7,800 won. It was trading at 12,920 won as of around 5 p.m. in after-hours trading, up 65.64 percent from the offering price. The firm priced its shares at the top of its proposed range of 6,800 won to 7,800 w October 22, 2026
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  KOSPI wipes out prior gains as BOK pauses rate hikes SEOUL, Oct. 22 (AJP) - South Korean stocks fell 3.5 percent on Thursday, wiping out the previous session's gains, as the Bank of Korea paused its rate tightening while leaving the door open to further hikes. The move added pressure to a chip rally that was already losing momentum. The benchmark KOSPI shed 201.89 points or 3.52 percent to close at 5,533.77. Samsung Electronics lost 4.0 percent and SK hynix 5.5 percent as foreigners turned net sellers again after a single day October 22, 2026
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  AJP Factbox: Slim job market keeps Koreans at school More than three in four South Korean university students who postponed graduation cited employment uncertainty, according to a 15-year study by the National Youth Policy Institute (NYPI). Of the 1,139 respondents surveyed in 2025, 88.8 percent had attended university, while 7.4 percent of university attendees had delayed graduation. Among those who postponed graduation, 76 percent cited the need for more time to prepare for employment or fears of struggling to find a j October 22, 2026
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  Seoul stocks slip despite Wall Street tech rebound SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - Seoul stocks slipped at the open Thursday despite a tech-led rally on Wall Street, giving back a sliver of Wednesday’s sharp rebound, as investors were sidelined ahead of the Bank of Korea’s rate decision later in the day. The KOSPI lost 18.6 points, or 0.3 percent, to 5,717.1. Foreign investors stayed on the buy side with net purchases of 155.4 billion won ($117.0 million), while institutions sold a net 103.9 billion won ($78.3 million) an October 22, 2026
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  KOSPI rebounds over 3% ahead of BOK's rate decision SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - South Korean stocks rose 3.3 percent on Wednesday as chipmakers gained and foreign investors returned to the main market. The won also strengthened, while government bond yields fell, just a day ahead of the Bank of Korea's rate decision. The benchmark KOSPI gained 182.92 points or 3.29 percent to close at 5,735.66, recovering most of the previous day's 3.73 percent drop. It opened 2.05 percent higher at 5,666.34 and climbed as much as 4.75 percent October 21, 2026