KOSPI rebounds to fresh high, shrugging off AI jitters SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) - Korea’s benchmark KOSPI stood out in Asia on Wednesday, closing at a fresh record high after rebounding from early losses driven by concerns over the sustainability of the artificial intelligence-driven rally. The KOSPI rose 0.8 percent to close at 6,690.90, after hitting a low of 6,596.03 throughout the trading session. The index later reversed course to hit today's high of 6,702.38, highlighting resilient buying momentum despite external headwin April 29, 2026

Korean Inc. turns to 91-day financing as corporate debt market remains icy SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) — South Korean companies are turning to three-month financing to meet debt obligation, as new bond issues become increasingly difficult with lower-rated yields hovering above 10 percent amid icy demand. Bond issuance by non-financial companies fell 6.5 percent from a month earlier to 4.78 trillion won in March, even as overall bond issuance rose 3.8 percent to 19.98 trillion won ($13.56 billion), according to data released Wednesday by the Financial S April 29, 2026

Korean women still do 3 times more unpaid housework, men on faster rise SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) - South Korean women would effectively be 2.7 times richer than men — if unpaid household work were properly compensated — though the gap has eased from 3.2 times five years ago as single life forces more men to take on domestic responsibility, data showed Wednesday. The value of home management in South Korea — encompassing childcare, cooking, cleaning and elder care — was estimated at 582.4 trillion won ($420 billion) in 2024, equiva April 29, 2026

South Korea's FX trading hits record high in Q1 as foreign capital inflows surge SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) - South Korea's foreign-exchange (FX) trading volume hit a record high in the first quarter amid heightened volatility and foreign capital inflows, the Bank of Korea said on Wednesday. According to the central bank, average daily foreign-exchange trading by banks in the first three months of this year including spot and derivatives trading totaled US$102.65 billion, up $18.03 billion, or 21.3 percent, from the previous quarter's $84.62 billion, and th April 29, 2026

KOSPI takes breath amid growing uncertainty over AI-fueled rally SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI fluctuated on Wednesday after opening lower, as investors weighed an overnight Wall Street selloff amid uncertainty over the sustainability of the recent artificial intelligence (AI)-fueled rally. Investors also appeared cautious ahead of earnings reports from five major tech companies, collectively dubbed the "magnificent seven," including Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft this week. The main index fe April 29, 2026

KOSPI extends rally, hitting new milestone SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI closed Tuesday at a new high after testing a new milestone as the sole winner in Asia. The main bourse added 0.4 percent to finish at 6,641.02 points after climbing as high as 6,712.73, extending its winning streak to a seventh consecutive session. Institutional investors purchased 351.1 billion Korean won (US$270 million) worth of shares, while foreign and retail investors sold 184.5 billion won and 130.3 billion won, res April 28, 2026

Minsky moment looming for Korea's financial sector SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) — Loose liquidity binges tend to end in a Minsky moment — the payback for easy gains. For South Korea’s financial sector, that moment may be inching closer, as a domestic slowdown, supply-side inflation and accumulated leverage begin to converge. Delinquency rates are rising with unusual speed. The country’s five largest commercial banks reported an average delinquency rate of 0.4 percent for the first quarter of 2026, up from 0.34 April 28, 2026

KOSPI extends record-setting rally as chip halo trickles down SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) — The KOSPI extended record-setting rally Tuesday with eyes on the 7,000 milestone, shrugging off the stalemate in U.S.-Iran talks even as the conflict nears the 60-day mark this week. As of 11:00 a.m., the benchmark index rose 0.65 percent to 6,658.25, as foreign and institutional investors continued buying despite retail profit-taking. Market breadth remained tight, with gainers narrowly outpacing losers 424 to 409. Investor sentiment was buoyed by April 28, 2026

KOSPI, Nikkei close at all-time highs on chip rally, strong institutional buying SEOUL, April 27 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI closed at a fresh record high on Monday, while Japan's Nikkei 225 also finished at an all-time high, as semiconductor-driven gains and strong institutional inflows outweighed concerns over rising oil prices amid the prolonged conflict in the Middle East. The KOSPI rose 2.2 percent to close at 6,615.03 points, after swinging between a low of 6,529.20 and a record intraday high of 6,657.22. Institutions bought 1.10 trillion April 27, 2026

Korea moves to lock in tourism windfall as regional travel shifts boost arrivals SEOUL, April 27 (AJP) - South Korea is moving to lock in a tourism windfall as shifting regional travel patterns and stronger visitor spending drive a surge in foreign arrivals ahead of a holiday-packed May. The country welcomed a record 4.76 million foreign visitors in the first quarter, up 23 percent from a year earlier, with 2.06 million arriving in March alone, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The March spike was partly driven by the full-member com April 27, 2026