AJP Focus: 1,500 won per USD holds as capital outflows outweigh C/A surplus SEOUL, May 26 (AJP) - The South Korean won continues to hover near the 1,500-per-dollar mark despite solid economic indicators that would traditionally lift the currency, underscoring what analysts describe as a structural shift in the country's foreign exchange dynamics. The won closed at 1,504 against the dollar on Tuesday, holding sharply weaker than at the start of the year despite bullish readings on the current account, exports, and equities that have more than offset th May 26, 2026

Regulators warn of risks over South Korea's first single-stock leveraged ETF SEOUL, May 26 (AJP) - Financial authorities issued an investor warning as South Korea prepares to permit the listing of "single-stock leveraged ETFs and ETNs" for the first time in the domestic market. As these instruments track two times the daily performance of specific individual stocks—Samsung Electronics and SK hynix — the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) warned that they can conversely accelerate catastrophic May 26, 2026

KOSPI touches down above 8,000 for first time amid flat Asian market SEOUL, May 26 (AJP) -South Korean stocks closed above the 8,000 mark for the first time Tuesday as investors rushed to compensate for Monday's market holiday and price in the broader Asian rally fueled by hopes for a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and renewed momentum in AI-related shares. The benchmark KOSPI surged 2.6 percent to close at 8,047.50 after climbing as high as 8,131.15 during the session. The index stayed above the 8,000 threshold throughout the day and passed t May 26, 2026

BOK to hold rate for yearlong this week and hike growth target SEOUL, May 26 (AJP) - The Bank of Korea is widely expected to hold the benchmark rate at 2.50 percent, unchanged for a year, while sharply raising its 2027 growth outlook to around 2.5 percent from 2 percent to lay the groundwork for eventual tightening against mounting inflationary pressures from elevated energy prices, rising wages and overheated asset markets as the AI boom cushions the economy from the prolonged Gulf crisis. An AJP poll on economists found unanimous expectations May 26, 2026

Taiwan overtakes India as world's fifth-largest stock market on TSMC-led AI rally SEOUL, May 26 (AJP) - Taiwan's stock market has edged past India to become the world's fifth-largest, propelled by a surge in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. that underscores how the global rally in artificial-intelligence stocks is reshaping the hierarchy of world markets. Taiwan's market capitalization reached $4.95 trillion as of Monday's close, according to a Bloomberg tally, narrowly surpassing India's $4.92 trillion — a margin of about $30 bill May 26, 2026

KOSPI tops 8,000 for first time as oil slump, Asia rally lift Seoul SEOUL, May 26 (AJP) - South Korean stocks broke through the 8,000 mark for the first time on Tuesday as the market reopened from a long holiday to a weekend slide in oil prices and record highs across Asia. The benchmark KOSPI traded at 8,105 as of around 10 a.m., up about 3.3 percent from Friday's close of 7,847.71, while the junior KOSDAQ stood at 1,184.76. It was the first time the index has opened and held above 8,000, after a brief touch on May 15 that ended in a steep sell May 26, 2026

KOSPI breaks 8,000 as oil retreat lifts Asia, though the rally rests on unfinished Iran deal SEOUL, May 26 (AJP) - South Korea's Kospi pushed above the 8,000 mark at Tuesday's open, reaching roughly 8,060 as the market reopened from a holiday to a weekend of falling oil prices and record highs across Asia, even as the diplomatic breakthrough driving the move remained far from settled. The benchmark traded about 2.7 percent above Friday's close of 7,847.71. It marked only the second time the index has crossed 8,000 and the first time it has opened and sustained t May 26, 2026

Asia AI boom lifts Nikkei to record high while KOSDAQ roars on retail frenzy SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) - Japan's main index touched new heights Friday as it led broad Asian gains refueled by AI hype, while Seoul's secondary bourse received a boost from a state-backed fund. The Nikkei 225 rose 2.68 percent to a record close of 63,339.07 amid reinforced momentum in AI- and semiconductor-related stocks following Nvidia's strong earnings. SoftBank Group surged more than 12 percent intraday after a near 20-percent jump in the previous session — the May 22, 2026

AJP Market Watch: AI boom runs into debt and FX markets in Korea, Japan SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) -Artificial intelligence is starting to look like a mixed blessing — at least for the currency and debt markets of Northeast Asia. Equity markets in both countries are on fire. The KOSPI is up more than 85 percent this year, the Nikkei 225 more than 22 percent. Both economies have outperformed expectations, with Japan's GDP expanding 2.1 percent on an annualized basis in the first quarter and Korea's 1.7 percent, as tech-heavy manufacturers ride th May 22, 2026

State-backed investment fund sparks frenzy as retail investors flood in SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) - A government-backed fund to invest in key strategic industries sparked a buying frenzy, with its online allocations selling out within minutes as soon as it became available on Friday. The fund, designed to invest in advanced industries such as artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors as part of President Lee Jae Myung's push to shift household assets away from heavy reliance on real estate and into the stock market, attracted strong demand from reta May 22, 2026