Asian stocks mostly down early Friday ahead of FOMC week SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Asian stocks were mostly lower in early Friday trading as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of next week’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting, which is expected to set the tone for U.S. rate policy in 2025. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI rose 0.5 percent to 4,047.41, while the KOSDAQ slipped 0.7 percent to 923.70 as of 10:05 a.m. Samsung Electronics gained 1.9 percent to 107,050 won ($72.8), whereas SK hynix fell 0.7 percent to 538,000 won. December 5, 2025

HYBE shares dip after court orders freeze in chair Bang's stock holdings SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Shares of South Korea's entertainment giant HYBE slid more than 1 percent early Friday after a Seoul court approved the prosecution request for a freeze on the stock holdings of its founder and largest shareholder Bang Si-hyuk worth 156.8 billion won ($106 million) while the investigation on malpractice related to pre-listing share transactions proceeded. The KOSPI-trading shares are down 1.4 percent at 291,250 won as of 9:40 a.m. in Seoul. Bang o December 5, 2025

Nikkei soars, KOSDAQ active with robotics helped by Trump's mention SEOUL, December 04 (AJP) - Japanese stocks defied concerns over a potential unwinding of the yen carry trade to push back above the 50,000-point threshold, while activity was subdued across most of Asia. South Korea’s KOSPI closed 0.19 percent lower at 4,028.51 on Thursday. After sliding more than 1 percent in early trading, the index pared losses in the afternoon as foreigners took profits and nearly all U.S. megacap tech stocks—excluding AMD—declined overnight. December 4, 2025

Asian market mostly flat early Thursday, KOSDAQ stands out SEOUL, December 04 (AJP) - Asian equities were mostly flat in early Thursday trading as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of next week’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting in the United States. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI slipped 0.5 percent to 4,017.89, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ surged 9.2 percent to 934.21 as of 9:01 a.m. The secondary market’s total capitalization topped the 500-trillion-won level for the first time, buoyed by reports that the government December 4, 2025

Seoul lifts 2026 cap for foreign-currency sovereign bonds to $5 bn SEOUL, December 04 (AJP) - South Korea has raised the ceiling for next year’s foreign-currency denominated sovereign bond issuance to $5 billion from $3.4 billion offerings this year, giving authorities more firepower to stabilize the won as demand for U.S. dollars can intensify to finance the government’s pledged $20 billion in annual U.S. investments. The stretch marks the largest foreign-currency borrowing capacity since crisis periods—$6 billion cap in 2009 a December 4, 2025

Major Asian markets climb; China slips on deepening recession fears SEOUL, December 03 (AJP) - Asian equity markets ended mixed on Wednesday, with South Korea, Japan and Taiwan advancing on rising expectations of a U.S. interest rate cut, while China-related indices slid across the board amid renewed recession worries. The Korean won closed at 1,467.8 per dollar, up 1.7 won, supported by sustained foreign and institutional buying on the KOSPI and what traders described as “steady, visible intervention” by financial institutions and FX December 3, 2025

Newcomers to Korean stock markets in roller-coaster ride SEOUL, December 03 (AJP) - Newcomers to South Korea’s stock market are drawing increased warnings from the Korea Exchange (KRX), as freshly listed companies swing sharply in price and trading volume. Samyang Biopharm, which debuted on Nov. 24, was designated an investment-warning issue on Tuesday after its shares overheated in early trading. Nota, listed on Nov. 3, received the same label from Nov. 11 to 25 as AI-themed retail buying sent the stock surging before a rapid pul December 3, 2025

KOSPI bounces above 4,000 in broad mixed Asia markets SEOUL, December 03 (AJP) - South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI climbed back above the 4,000 level on Wednesday, supported by overnight gains on Wall Street. In Seoul, the KOSPI rose 1.1 percent to 4,039.21 as of 10:08 a.m., recovering the 4,000 mark for the first time in nine sessions. The tech-heavy KOSDAQ added 0.3 percent to 930.74. Among blue chips, Samsung Electronics advanced 1.9 percent to 105,350 won ($71), while SK hynix slipped 0.3 percent to 556,500 won. Except for SK December 3, 2025

Asian markets mixed on yen carry trade fears as KOSPI outperforms SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - Asian equity markets were mixed on Tuesday as investors weighed the growing risk of a yen carry trade unwind sparked by rising expectations of a Bank of Japan interest rate hike. Korea’s KOSPI stood out as the region’s strongest performer, drawing sizable foreign inflows even as most other Asian benchmarks stalled or slipped. The Korean won strengthened slightly to 1,468.9 per dollar, up 2 won from the previous session, supported by foreign c December 2, 2025

Coupang censured by Korean president as founder-chair stays silent SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - Coupang’s management came under heavy fire from lawmakers and direct censure from the Korean president on Tuesday, after the country’s largest-ever data breach — affecting virtually all of its 33.7 million customers — went undetected for nearly five months. Shares in Coupang, listed on the Nasdaq, slid more than 5 percent on the first trading day after the disclosure, paring part of the 28 percent gain built earlier this year. JPM December 2, 2025