H.PIO stock bolstered by stock retire scheme SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) -South Korean health supplement maker H.PIO's shares rose Monday after the company announced plans to cancel all of its treasury shares. Its shares closed 2.64 percent higher at 2,135 won ($1.54) on the KOSDAQ. The KOSDAQ-listed company said its board approved the cancellation of 191,003 common shares, according to a regulatory filing Monday. The cancellation is scheduled for Sept. 11. The cancellation represents about 0.46 percent of its 41.29 millio August 24, 2026

Samsung buyback disappointment pushes KOSPI down 3.1% SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI plunged 3.1 percent Monday as Samsung Electronics' record shareholder-return plan disappointed investors, triggering heavy selling in large-cap technology stocks even as the broader KOSDAQ market rose. The KOSPI shed 215.99 points to 6,696.96. Foreign investors sold a net 3.68 trillion won ($2.66 billion) and institutions sold 1.29 trillion won ($936 million), while individuals bought 3.32 trillion won ($2.40 billion) August 24, 2026

Won hits 11-month high, Korean bonds rally as stocks tumble SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - The South Korean won strengthened to an 11-month high against the dollar on Monday. Government bonds also rallied as stocks tumbled and foreign investors bought bond futures. The won strengthened 4.1 won from the previous session to close daytime trading at 1,382.4 per dollar, compared with Friday's 1,386.5. The currency briefly strengthened to 1,376.5 during the session and extended its advance for a seventh straight trading day, the longest such str August 24, 2026

Korea's 5-year bond auction split raises demand concerns SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - South Korea's new five-year government bond auction produced a wide range of accepted yields on Monday, signaling uneven investor pricing and trimming an earlier rally in the local bond market despite a strong headline bid ratio. The Ministry of Economy and Finance said it completed competitive auctions for both a new five-year Korea Treasury Bond and an existing five-year issue on Monday. The 1.5 trillion won ($1.09 billion) pre-issuance tranche of t August 24, 2026

FSS to hold briefings on revised pharma, biotech disclosure rules SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) will hold four briefings in September to help pharmaceutical and biotech companies adapt to new disclosure rules, the financial watchdog said Monday. The sessions are intended to help market participants understand the revised requirements before they take effect, reducing the risk of filing errors that could lead to correction requests and delays in fundraising or listing schedules. The regulator will hold separate August 24, 2026

Hot Stock: Samsung SDI jumps over 7% on Samsung Display stake sale SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - Shares of Samsung SDI jumped more than 7 percent Monday after the battery maker decided to sell its stake in Samsung Display for about 4.45 trillion won ($3.2 billion), raising expectations that the proceeds could support its expansion in North America. Its shares traded at 512,000 won by midday, up 7.11 percent, or 34,000 won, from the previous session. The stock climbed as high as 522,000 won during intraday trading. The company disclosed Friday after August 24, 2026

Samsung Electronics slumps, SK hynix rises after record payout SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics fell almost 6 percent at Monday's open as investors sold into the largest shareholder return package a Korean company has ever approved, dragging the KOSPI down while the rest of the market climbed. The index shed 76.68 points to 6,836.27, a fall of 1.1 percent. The drag was almost entirely one stock. SK hynix rose 1.4 percent, the junior KOSDAQ market gained 1.5 percent, and shipping and non-ferrous metal shares led broad advances August 24, 2026

KOSPI rises on hopes for Samsung's huge shareholder return package SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - South Korean stocks extended their gains on Friday, with the benchmark KOSPI closing above 6,900 points. The index recovered from a sharp drop in morning trading as expectations for higher shareholder returns at Samsung Electronics and SK hynix helped offset pressure from rising U.S. Treasury yields. The KOSPI closed at 6,912.95, up 0.88 percent or 60.37 points from the previous session. It marked a second straight day of gains after the index surged 5.89 pe August 21, 2026

Won strengthens further as US Treasury selloff lifts domestic bond yields SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - The South Korean won extended its rally against the dollar on Friday, while government bond yields rose as a renewed selloff in U.S. Treasuries outweighed softer domestic price pressures. The won strengthened 6.8 won from the previous session to close daytime trading at 1,385.8 per dollar, compared with Thursday's 1,392.6. Exporter dollar selling and broader weakness in the U.S. currency continued to support the won after it broke below 1,400 earlier August 21, 2026

KOSPI opens lower as US yield worries return SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - South Korean stocks opened lower on Friday, giving back some of the previous session's sharp gains as higher U.S. Treasury yields, rising oil prices and losses on Wall Street weighed on investor sentiment. The benchmark KOSPI traded at 6,808.63 points at around 9 a.m., down 0.64 percent from the previous session. The junior KOSDAQ also fell 3.53 percent to 811.22, with losses considerably steeper among smaller growth stocks. The decline came after the August 21, 2026