Seoul mulls 20% cap on single-stock leveraged ETFs SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) -South Korea's financial authorities are moving toward tougher curbs on single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds, proposing to limit such products to a fixed share of retail investors' portfolios after a sharp selloff exposed the risks of heavy speculation in semiconductor stocks. At an emergency meeting among key financial policymakers on Wednesday, Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol, Bank of Korea Gov. Shin Hyun-song, Financial Services Commission C July 30, 2026

KOSPI rolls back to April, KOSDAQ to January 2025 levels as AI rally unravels SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - It's only Wednesday, but South Korea's main bourse has already lost nearly 20 percent from its recent high, with the KOSPI retreating to early-April levels and the KOSDAQ to January 2025 as investors interpreted SK hynix's record second-quarter earnings as evidence that the AI-driven semiconductor boom may be maturing. The benchmark KOSPI closed 5.98 percent lower at 5,663.24, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ fell 6.12 percent to 662.68 after both index July 29, 2026

Fed, BOJ policy paths may be behind foreign exodus from Korean equities SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - Foreign investors have sold nearly 20 trillion won ($14.5 billion) worth of South Korean equities this month, including about 10 trillion won this week, extending first-half outflows of roughly 170 trillion won as global investors reposition portfolios ahead of diverging monetary paths in the United States and Japan rather than simply locking in profits after Seoul's year-long rally. The sustained selling suggests global liquidity conditions—not dom July 29, 2026

South Korea's birthrate rises for 23rd straight month SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - South Korea's birthrate continued to show signs of recovery in May, with the number of newborns increasing for the 23rd straight month, according to data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics on Wednesday. Some 23,160 babies were born in May, up 13.6 percent from a year earlier. The country’s total fertility rate, which measures the average number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime, also rose to 0.85 from 0.75 a year July 29, 2026

KOSPI regains ground after chip-stock sell-off, but recovery remains fragile SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - Seoul stocks opened higher on Wednesday after the previous day's rout, but gave up most of their early gains within the first hour, leaving the rebound looking less convincing. The KOSPI climbed back above 6,200 in early trade before fading to 6,078.77, up 0.9 percent. Samsung Electronics led the recovery, rising 3.9 percent to 228,500 South Korean won (US$157), while SK hynix barely moved, edging up 0.1 percent to 1,551,000 won. That divergence shap July 29, 2026

How South Korea became Asia's AI ETF test case SEOUL, July 28 (AJP) — Not long ago, Nvidia was the trade that defined the artificial intelligence boom. Today, investors are searching for the next AI winner—and using increasingly leveraged financial products to amplify those bets. That search is reshaping not only Asia's semiconductor industry but also its capital markets. As investors crowd into a handful of AI champions, exchanges are racing to launch new products while regulators grapple with where to draw the July 28, 2026

China chip fears send KOSPI plunging over 10% SEOUL, July 28 (AJP) - China's growing push into semiconductors rattled South Korea's stock market on Tuesday. Shares of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix crashed, sparking panic across the market. The sell-off was severe enough to activate automatic trading halts on both the benchmark KOSPI and the junior KOSDAQ, including sidecars and circuit breakers designed to curb sharp market declines. The KOSPI tumbled 10.84 percent to 6,023.66, briefly falling below the 6,000-poin July 28, 2026

South Korea's elderly top 20%; working population slips below 70% SEOUL, July 28 (AJP) —South Korea's aging deepened last year, with those aged 65 or older topping 20 percent of the population, more than doubling the share of children aged 14 or younger, while the working-age population fell below the 70-percent threshold for the first time, census data showed Tuesday. According to the 2025 Population and Housing Census released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics, people aged 65 and older accounted for 20.7 percent of the population July 28, 2026

Seoul weighs individual cap if leveraged ETF speculation persists SEOUL, July 28 (AJP) —South Korea is considering imposing an individual investment cap on single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) should speculative trading persist despite recent market stabilization measures, the country's financial chief said Tuesday. Financial Services Commission Chairman Lee Eog-weon said authorities will first assess whether tighter rules taking effect Friday, including a higher minimum cash deposit requirement, are sufficient to cool s July 28, 2026

KOSPI leads broad Asian selloff with 8% tumble SEOUL, July 28 (AJP) - Korean stocks plunged Tuesday morning, with the benchmark KOSPI falling more than 8 percent to the 6,200 level, as a selloff in U.S. artificial intelligence chip stocks and concerns over China’s growing semiconductor capabilities battered major technology shares. Sell-side sidecars were triggered in both the KOSPI and KOSDAQ markets shortly after the opening bell, followed by a circuit breaker on the main market that halted trading for 20 minutes. July 28, 2026