Korea fails to make MSCI's developed-market watchlist, KRW cited SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - South Korea was passed over once more in MSCI's annual market classification, denied even a place on the watchlist that marks the first step toward a developed-market upgrade, with the index provider again pointing to the local currency. In results released June 23 in New York, MSCI kept Korea in its emerging-market index alongside China and India, offering only continued monitoring of Seoul's reform drive. It advanced Bulgaria and reaffirmed Greece&# June 24, 2026

Korea's new obsession: borrowing to buy stocks, not homes SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - South Korea's stock craze has reached a point where borrowing to buy shares is becoming more socially acceptable than borrowing to buy an apartment. The shift reflects a profound change in a country long defined by its obsession with real estate, as millions of Koreans pour into a handful of AI-related stocks in pursuit of rapid wealth creation. Tuesday's selloff offered a reminder of how fragile that enthusiasm can be. The benchmark KOSPI cras June 23, 2026

Won weakens on Fed jitters, bond yields fall as safety bid offsets FX pressure SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - The Korean won weakened against the dollar on Monday as the Federal Reserve’s hawkish stance kept pressure on Asian currencies, while government bond yields fell as a sharp stock selloff pushed investors toward safer assets. The won ended the daytime session in Seoul at 1,538.90 per dollar, weakening by 1.90 won from the previous session. The currency came under pressure as investors reassessed the Fed’s policy path after its June meeting delive June 23, 2026

Central banks recalibrate post-rate messaging SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - The dot plot, long one of the U.S. Federal Reserve's most influential communication tools, is undergoing a rethink just as South Korea's central bank is embracing it, highlighting a broader dilemma confronting policymakers worldwide: how to guide markets without locking themselves into a path they may later regret. The divergence underscores a new reality for central banks. Inflation, exchange rates and interest-rate expectations have become harder to June 23, 2026

KOSPI crashes nearly 10 percent amid broad Asian retreat SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI crashed nearly 10 percent, far outpacing declines in Japan and China as investors rushed to unwind positions after record-setting streaks. The KOSPI fell 9.99 percent or record 910.71 points to 8,203.84, instantly wiping out gains of last seven trading sessions. The junior KOSDAQ plunged 7.94 percent to 891.52. Foreign and local institutions offloaded more than 4 trillion won worth on the KOSPI while retailers scooped the June 23, 2026

SpaceX slide painfully watched by Korean retailers holding nearly $2 billion SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) — SpaceX has become an instant favorite among South Korean retail investors, who have poured nearly $2 billion into the stock since its June 12 Nasdaq debut, only to see the trade quickly turn painful as the initial heat surrounding Elon Musk's rocket rapidly cools. According to data from the Korea Securities Depository on Tuesday, Korean investors purchased a net $1.95 billion worth of SpaceX Class A shares between June 12 and June 19. The buying sp June 23, 2026

KOSPI tumbles below 9,000 as Wall Street tech selloff hits Seoul rally SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) — South Korean stocks succumbed to foreign-led profit-taking Tuesday, pushing the benchmark KOSPI back below the 9,000 mark and sending the won toward 1,540 per dollar, as a broad correction in artificial intelligence stocks spread across Wall Street and Asia. As of 9:56 a.m., the benchmark KOSPI fell 1.73 percent to 8,957.02, while the junior KOSDAQ sank 3.40 percent to 935.47. The correction followed a record-setting streak in Seoul that had propelled June 23, 2026

SK hynix edges out Samsung Elec as No. 1 as KOSPI hits new high SEOUL, June 22 (AJP) - South Korea's Kospi closed at a fresh record on Monday, rising 62.1 points, or 0.7 percent, to 9,114.6, as SK hynix overtook Samsung Electronics in market capitalization on a common-share basis for the first time in 25 years and seven months. The index swung between an intraday low of 8,900.7 and a high of 9,253.0 before settling higher. Retail investors were net buyers of 2.12 trillion won, while institutions bought 330.6 billion won. Foreigners sold 2.54 June 22, 2026

SK hynix premium eclipses Samsung in AI stock hierarchy SEOUL, June 22 (AJP) - Investors are willing to pay more than twice as much for each won of SK hynix's assets than Samsung Electronics', a premium that pushed the pure-play chipmaker past the country's corporate titan on Monday. SK hynix's market capitalization reached 2,080.4 trillion won ($1.4 trillion) at Monday's record closing of 2,925,000 won, up 5.8 percent, edging past Samsung Electronics' 2,066.7 trillion won. It was the first time Samsung had r June 22, 2026

KOSPI and Nikkei extend record-setting rally SEOUL, June 22 (AJP) -South Korean and Japanese stocks extended their record-setting rallies Monday, propelled by semiconductor shares ahead of Micron Technology's fiscal third-quarter earnings this week that could set the tone for the next leg of gains for Korean memory giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. The earnings report, due June 24, is being closely watched as a barometer of global artificial-intelligence spending and demand for high-bandwidth memory, an area dominat June 22, 2026