Samsung Electro-Mechanics flies on renewed AI frenzy after US silicon capacitor deal SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - Samsung Electro-Mechanics stock on Wednesday drew a flurry of price upgrades after it signed a 1.56 trillion won ($993 million) contract to supply silicon capacitors to a U.S. big tech company developing AI chips, its first large-scale order in a business it designated a strategic priority in 2024. The components affiliate of Samsung Electronics disclosed the two-year contract on Tuesday, with deliveries running from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2028. May 21, 2026

Samsung Live: Stock jumps 6% on labor accord, lifting KOSPI SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - South Korean stocks jumped Thursday after Samsung Electronics and its labor union reached a last-minute tentative wage agreement led by Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon, easing fears of a large-scale strike at the country’s biggest chipmaker. Relief over the suspension of the planned strike fueled a sharp rally in Samsung Electronics shares, which jumped 6.43 percent to 293,750 won as of 9:33 a.m., helping lift the benchmark KOSPI 5.42 percent higher to 7,59 May 21, 2026

Fuel tax cut to be extended for another two months SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - The Ministry of Finance and Economy said Thursday it will extend the fuel tax cut for another two months through the end of July, citing mounting inflationary pressure from the prolonged conflict in the Middle East. Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol said the decision was made after consultations with relevant ministries to help curb price increases. The current 15 percent tax cut on gasoline and the 25 percent cut on diesel, both set to expire at the end of thi May 21, 2026

Seoul and Tokyo equities fall, Asian currencies and debt tumble on inflation fears SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Seoul and Tokyo bourses extended losses in a broad Asian retreat as investors moved past AI euphoria toward a reality check on the economic toll of prolonged Gulf conflicts and renewed inflation fears. The benchmark KOSPI fell 0.86 percent to close at 7,208.95 after swinging between an intraday high of 7,324.52 and a low of 7,053.84. Foreign investors sold a net 2.9293 trillion won ($1.94 billion) worth of shares, while retail and institutional investors bou May 20, 2026

Jeju casino operator Lotte Tourism gains "buy" reinforcement from Hana Securities SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Hana Securities reiterated a "buy" rating and a 28,000 won ($18.53) target price on Lotte Tourism Development on Tuesday, designating the Jeju Dream Tower operator its top pick in the leisure sector after the company posted a 121.5 percent jump in first-quarter operating profit even as its two foreign-only casino rivals both saw earnings fall. The stock traded at 19,080 won on Tuesday morning, leaving Hana's target roughly 47 percent above curren May 20, 2026

Korean banks' Q1 net profit edges down on bond valuation losses SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Although South Korean commercial banks saw their interest income expand in the first quarter of this year, driven by loan growth and improved net interest margins (NIM), their overall net profit declined due to widening valuation losses on bond holdings triggered by a sharp spike in market interest rates. Analysts say that while household debt continues to grow, the banking sector's profitability structure is becoming increasingly sensitive to interest rate vo May 20, 2026

KOSPI, Nikkei extend slide as global bond yields hit multi-decade highs SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - South Korean and Japanese equities extended losses Wednesday as a global bond rout intensified, with surging long-term yields rattling stock markets that had largely shrugged off Middle East tensions amid the AI-driven rally. As of 10:13 a.m., the benchmark KOSPI fell 0.87 percent to 7,208.53, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ dropped 1.97 percent to 1,062.49 amid persistent foreign selling. The Japanese Nikkei 225 also weakened as government bond yields climbed t May 20, 2026

Korea's bond and currency retreat deepens rate hike bias SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - South Korean bonds and currency took a renewed beating amid broad strengthening in the greenback and a global debt retreat amid jitters over government borrowing to finance war costs and inflation risks with little sign of the Gulf crisis abating. Long-dated sovereign bonds across major economies — including the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom — have hit levels unseen in two to three decades. And Korean bonds rank among the worst pe May 19, 2026

KOSPI tumbles 3.3% as chip-cycle peak fears trigger foreign selloff SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - South Korean benchmark KOSPI tumbled 3.3 percent Tuesday as foreign investors offloaded shares amid growing concerns that the global memory-chip cycle is nearing its peak. Foreign investors drove the decline on the main bourse, selling 5.34 trillion won ($3.55 billion) worth of shares to outweigh combined purchases by retail and institutional investors. The selloff heavily impacted semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related stocks following an overnigh May 19, 2026

KOSPI opens lower as end-of-chip-rally fears hammer tech shares SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - South Korean stocks opened lower Tuesday as growing concerns of a peak in the global memory-chip cycle triggered an overnight selloff in U.S. technology shares, dragging down semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI)-related stocks. The benchmark KOSPI fell 2.47 percent to 7,330.44 about an hour into trading, while the junior KOSDAQ dropped 1.69 percent to 1,092.34. The South Korean won was largely unchanged at 1,500.10 per dollar, from 1,500.30 in the pri May 19, 2026