Samsung, SK hynix dominate Korea's stock-rich C-suite SEOUL, August 31 (AJP) -Nine out of 10 stock-rich C-suite executives are affiliated with Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, underscoring the sharp rise of the stock-market stature of South Korea’s two chipmakers. A total of 398 executives at listed companies affiliated with Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor and LG held shares worth more than 1 billion won ($720,000) as of Aug. 24, according to a report released Monday by corporate analysis firm Korea CXO Research Institute. Their comb August 31, 2026

Hot Stock: SK Innovation up 6% on $1 billion U.S. battery deal SEOUL, August 31 (AJP) - Shares of South Korean energy company SK Innovation jumped nearly 6 percent Monday after its battery unit SK on secured a major order for energy storage system (ESS) batteries in the U.S. Shares traded 5.65 percent higher at 123,500 won ($89.57) as of 10:44 a.m. on the KOSPI, standing out in a bearish market with the key index losing nearly 2 percent. The stock opened at 119,300 won and rose as high as 125,300 won in early trading. The rally came after S August 31, 2026

Y-Biologics expands employee share ownership after KOSDAQ listing SEOUL, August 31 (AJP) - South Korean antibody drug developer Y-Biologics has completed its third employee share purchase since its KOSDAQ listing, bringing the shareholding ratio among employees to about 65 percent of its workforce. The company said Monday that employees bought shares on the open market this month through its Employee Stock Ownership Association (ESOA), which enables employees to acquire and hold shares in their employer. The latest round follows two previous purch August 31, 2026

Rate-hike fears drag KOSPI, Nikkei down 2% SEOUL, August 31 (AJP) - Korean stocks opened sharply lower Monday as a hawkish turn by Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh knocked the chip trade that has carried the market all year. The KOSPI, the main index in Seoul, was down 2.0 percent in early trading. The index shed 138.63 points to 6,650.25. Tokyo took the same blow. The Nikkei 225 was down 1,375.83 points at 65,029.73. The fall of about 2.1 percent left the region's two big chip-exposed markets moving together. August 31, 2026

Pump prices fall for 15th straight week as fuel caps remain SEOUL, August 29 (AJP) - Pump prices fell slightly this week, extending their decline for a 15th consecutive week, while the government kept its fuel price ceilings unchanged in an effort to limit the impact of volatile global oil prices. According to the Korea National Oil Corporation's website Opinet on Saturday, the average retail price of gasoline at gas stations nationwide stood at 1,861.3 won (US$1.35) per liter in the fourth week of August, down 1.2 won from the previous August 29, 2026

PARU extends rally after share consolidation SEOUL, August 28 (AJP) - South Korean renewable energy company PARU surged for a second straight session Friday after trading resumed following a two-for-one share consolidation. Shares of PARU closed 10.82 percent higher at 1,475 won ($1.08) on the KOSDAQ on Friday, after rising as high as 1,630 won in early trading. The gains followed a 29.98 percent surge Thursday, when the stock hit its daily upper limit on the first session after trading resumed. According to a regulatory fi August 28, 2026

Is KOSPI party over, or moving to Wall Street? SEOUL, August 28 (AJP) — South Korea's stock-market party is thinning fast. Average daily trading across the country's two equity platforms has nearly halved from June's 99.39 trillion won ($72.2 billion), cash parked in brokerage accounts has retreated sharply from its peak and the KOSPI's share turnover has sunk to the lowest level this year. Yet the missing activity does not look like a wholesale flight from Korean equities. Foreign investors still own ne August 28, 2026

Chip stocks drag KOSPI down despite Wall Street, Tokyo gains SEOUL, August 28 (AJP) - Memory chip heavyweights dragged South Korea's main stock index down 1.8 percent on Friday, despite gains on Wall Street overnight and in Tokyo. Seoul's benchmark KOSPI fell 123.49 points or 1.8 percent to close at 6,788.88. The losses were concentrated among large-cap stocks. The KOSPI 200 fell 2.1 percent, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ edged up 0.1 percent to close at 838.41. SK hynix took the heavier hit. The chipmaker fell 4.5 percent to 1,65 August 28, 2026

Korea FX deposits hit record amid SK hynix dollar wave SEOUL, August 28 (AJP) -South Korea's foreign currency deposits surged to a record in July as proceeds from SK hynix's blockbuster U.S. share sale washed through the Korean financial system while both corporations and individuals stocked up on dollars amid the won's sharp rebound. Resident foreign currency deposits at domestic foreign exchange banks stretched $15.01 billion from June to an all-time high of $128.34 billion at the end of July, according to the Bank of Kor August 28, 2026

Genians, SANDS Lab jump on AI cyberattack warning SEOUL, August 28 (AJP) - South Korean cybersecurity stocks surged Friday after more than 100 global technology and security companies warned that AI-powered cyberattacks could become far more widespread and sophisticated in the coming months. Shares of Genians, which provides security software for corporate networks and individual devices, jumped 26.76 percent to 18,330 won as of 10:55 a.m. on the KOSDAQ, after rising as much as 28.56 percent to an intraday high of 18,590 won. SAND August 28, 2026