Outgoing BOK dove delivers hawkish swan song amid inflation risks SEOUL, May 11 (AJP) — Inflation has become increasingly worrisome and is likely to dominate upcoming monetary policy discussions at the Bank of Korea, outgoing Monetary Policy Board member Shin Sung-hwan said Monday, in a notable hawkish turn from one of the central bank’s most dovish voices. Shin, whose term ends Tuesday, admitted during a press conference that he had previously favored rate cuts, but said that if he were still to remain on the board, he would now be May 11, 2026

Eight out of 10 Korean retail investors pocket over $6,000 from Q1 stock cashouts SEOUL, May 11 (AJP) - Eight out of 10 South Korean retail investors who cashed out stocks in the first quarter walked away with profits, earning an average of 8.48 million won ($6,100), nearly double the 4.96 million won average loss suffered by the remaining investors, according to data released by Shinhan Securities on Monday. According to the brokerage’s analysis, Samsung Electronics provided both the joy and misery for retail investors during the first quarter. Among May 11, 2026

KOSPI storms past 7,800 on semiconductor rally SEOUL, May 11 (AJP) - South Korea’s main index soared nearly 5 percent Monday morning to scale a fresh peak above the 7,800 mark, powered by bellwether chip stocks and retail investors chasing the latest leg of the AI-driven rally. As of 10:39 a.m., the KOSPI was trading at 7,843.57, with a buy-side sidecar was triggered shortly after the opening bell. The KOSDAQ slipped 0.16 percent to 1,205.81. The surge followed a strong session on Wall Street on Friday, where the S&am May 11, 2026

More South Koreans borrow to invest in stocks amid KOSPI's historic rally SEOUL, May 10 (AJP) - South Koreans are increasingly borrowing money again to invest in stocks amid a frenzy fueled by a recent record-breaking rally in the Korean stock market. According to financial data released on Sunday, outstanding balances on interest-bearing overdrafts at the country's five major banks - KB Kookmin, Hana, NH NongHyup, Shinhan and Woori - stood at 40.50 trillion Korean won (US$29 billion) as of last week. The amount surged by 715.2 billion won in les May 10, 2026

KOSPI closes at fresh record as Korea defies broader Asia weakness SEOUL, May 08 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI index closed at an all-time high for a fourth consecutive session on Friday. Domestic investors absorbed a significant sell-off by foreign funds as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East rattled regional markets. The index edged up 0.1 percent to finish at a record 7,498.0. It fluctuated during the day between a low of 7,318.96 and an intraday record of 7,511.01. Regional sentiment soured following reports of renewed mil May 8, 2026

YG doubles operating profit Q1 on year on BLACKPINK comeback SEOUL, May 08 (AJP) - South Korea’s K-pop powerhouse YG Entertainment more than doubled first-quarter operating profit as revenue from BLACKPINK and rising contributions from younger artists boosted earnings, reinforcing expectations for a stronger comeback cycle this year despite weaker-than-expected net profit. According to its earnings report released Thursday, YG Entertainment posted an operating profit of 19.4 billion won ($13.2 million) in the January-March period, up May 8, 2026

KOSPI retreats after historic rally as foreign investors dump shares SEOUL, May 8 (AJP) - South Korea's KOSPI took a breather on Friday after a strong three-day rally that saw the benchmark index gain more than 13 percent, weighed down by heavy foreign selling. As of around 11 a.m., the KOSPI stood at 7,378.17, down 1.49 percent, from the previous session. The retreat came just a day after the index briefly crossed the 7,500 mark for the first time in its history, having surpassed the 7,000 threshold in the previous session, as foreign investo May 8, 2026

Japan leads Asia rally, KOSPI hits new high SEOUL, May 07 (AJP) - Japan led a broad rally across Asian markets on Thursday, with the Nikkei 225 surging to a fresh all-time high as easing oil prices, renewed optimism over a possible U.S.-Iran agreement and another global surge in AI-linked semiconductor shares fueled aggressive buying across the region. The Nikkei 225 jumped 5.6 percent to close at a record 62,833.8, while the broader TOPIX gained 3.4 percent after Japanese markets reopened following an extended holiday brea May 7, 2026

KOSPI hits new heights and ordinary Koreans can only watch in envy SEOUL, May 07 (AJP) - South Korea’s benchmark stock index keeps scaling one record after another, but for many ordinary investors the rally feels increasingly like a private party they cannot afford to enter. After surging 70 percent last year, the KOSPI has already climbed another 77 percent this year, propelled overwhelmingly by a handful of AI-fueled chip giants. The gains have become so concentrated that while paper wealth has exploded, many retail investors holding smal May 7, 2026

SK Telecom turns to AI infrastructure as core mobile business weakens SEOUL, May 7 (AJP) - South Korea's largest mobile carrier SK Telecom is increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI)-driven infrastructure as its new growth engine. According to its first-quarter earnings report released on Thursday, SK Telecom posted an operating profit of 537.6 billion Korean won (US$393 million) in the first three months of this year, down 5.3 percent from a year earlier, reflecting a slump in its core telecom business. Revenue also fell 1. May 7, 2026