KOSPI extends rally, hitting new milestone SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI closed Tuesday at a new high after testing a new milestone as the sole winner in Asia. The main bourse added 0.4 percent to finish at 6,641.02 points after climbing as high as 6,712.73, extending its winning streak to a seventh consecutive session. Institutional investors purchased 351.1 billion Korean won (US$270 million) worth of shares, while foreign and retail investors sold 184.5 billion won and 130.3 billion won, res April 28, 2026

Minsky moment looming for Korea's financial sector SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) — Loose liquidity binges tend to end in a Minsky moment — the payback for easy gains. For South Korea’s financial sector, that moment may be inching closer, as a domestic slowdown, supply-side inflation and accumulated leverage begin to converge. Delinquency rates are rising with unusual speed. The country’s five largest commercial banks reported an average delinquency rate of 0.4 percent for the first quarter of 2026, up from 0.34 April 28, 2026

KOSPI extends record-setting rally as chip halo trickles down SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) — The KOSPI extended record-setting rally Tuesday with eyes on the 7,000 milestone, shrugging off the stalemate in U.S.-Iran talks even as the conflict nears the 60-day mark this week. As of 11:00 a.m., the benchmark index rose 0.65 percent to 6,658.25, as foreign and institutional investors continued buying despite retail profit-taking. Market breadth remained tight, with gainers narrowly outpacing losers 424 to 409. Investor sentiment was buoyed by April 28, 2026

KOSPI, Nikkei close at all-time highs on chip rally, strong institutional buying SEOUL, April 27 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI closed at a fresh record high on Monday, while Japan's Nikkei 225 also finished at an all-time high, as semiconductor-driven gains and strong institutional inflows outweighed concerns over rising oil prices amid the prolonged conflict in the Middle East. The KOSPI rose 2.2 percent to close at 6,615.03 points, after swinging between a low of 6,529.20 and a record intraday high of 6,657.22. Institutions bought 1.10 trillion April 27, 2026

Korea moves to lock in tourism windfall as regional travel shifts boost arrivals SEOUL, April 27 (AJP) - South Korea is moving to lock in a tourism windfall as shifting regional travel patterns and stronger visitor spending drive a surge in foreign arrivals ahead of a holiday-packed May. The country welcomed a record 4.76 million foreign visitors in the first quarter, up 23 percent from a year earlier, with 2.06 million arriving in March alone, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The March spike was partly driven by the full-member com April 27, 2026

Seoul and Tokyo benchmarks touch new highs as tech rally overrides Gulf jitters SEOUL, April 27 (AJP) - Seoul's main KOSPI touched a new ceiling at 6,600 on institutional buying early Monday, brushing aside weekend incidents — the stalemated U.S.-Iran peace talks and a shooting incident during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner attended by U.S. President Donald Trump. Both the KOSPI and junior KOSDAQ gained nearly 2 percent, pushing their combined market capitalization above 6,000 trillion won, up nearly 40 percent from the beginning of th April 27, 2026

South Korea's potential growth rate to hit record low next year, OECD forecasts SEOUL, April 26 (AJP) - South Korea's potential growth rate is projected to fall to a record low next year, continuing a downwred trend for over a decade, according to a report released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Sunday. The country's potential growth rate is projected to slip to 1.71 percent this year from 1.92 percent last year, falling further to 1.57 percent next year before dipping to 1.52 percent in the fourth quarter. Th April 26, 2026

KOSDAQ hits 25-year high as Asia trades mixed on oil, Middle East tensions SEOUL, April 24 (AJP) - Korea’s junior index KOSDAQ emerged as the winner on Friday as it hit a 25-year high, while broader Asian markets stayed mostly sidelined under pressure from rising oil prices and escalating Middle East tensions. The KOSDAQ rose 2.5 percent to close at 1,203.84, swinging between 1,172.32 and its intraday high. Foreign investors bought a net 729.3 billion won ($491 million) worth of shares, while institutions followed with 187.7 billion won. Retail inv April 24, 2026

Korea's Q1 growth beats expectations, but beyond hinges largely on Hormuz SEOUL, April 24 (AJP) — South Korea’s economy grew a stronger-than-expected 1.7 percent in the first quarter, nearly double the Bank of Korea’s estimate, raising hopes for resilience despite mounting external shocks. But whether the momentum can last hinges on the duration of the nearly two-month Middle East standoff and Korea’s ability to withstand an energy shock across an economy still fragilely powered by chip exports. Following the data, the Bank of April 24, 2026

Asian stocks wobble into weekly close amid entrenched Gulf uncertainties SEOUL, April 24 (AJP) - Asian markets traded mixed Friday with little sign of diplomatic breakthrough after U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally declared an indefinite extension to the ceasefire with Iran while continuing with naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.70 percent to 59,554.99, aided by spillover from overnight gains in U.S. semiconductor shares, with Advantest climbing 1.56 percent to 28,335 yen and SoftBank Group adding 1.42 percen April 24, 2026