KOSPI enters fourth quarter fighting to reclaim 7,000 SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) — Much of the KOSPI’s early-year exuberance has fizzled out as 2026 enters its final quarter, with thinning trade, volatile bond markets and monetary tightening cooling the leveraged bets that helped propel its rally. After taking nearly five years to climb from 3,000 to 4,000, the benchmark swept past successive milestones to breach 9,000 in June. Now, 7,000 has become a resistance level, raising the question of how long the next breakthrough wil October 1, 2026

Shinhan Bank offers payouts after loan data leak on 25,000 SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) — Shinhan Bank, one of South Korea’s largest commercial banks, pledged to fully compensate customers for losses arising from a data breach that exposed personal and credit information linked to about 25,000 customers’ loan applications. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) said Thursday it had launched an on-site inspection to determine the scope of the leak, the types of information exposed and how the breach occurred. Shinhan repor October 1, 2026

Seoul bourse mostly flat despite US deal and Micron earnings SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - Korean investors turned to U.S.-linked energy and semiconductor themes Thursday morning after Seoul and Washington laid out $142 billion energy project plans including eight nuclear reactors under South Korea's U.S. investment package. The benchmark KOSPI stood at 6,821.60 as of 10:40 a.m., down 0.2 percent from the previous session after moving between a high of 6,854.21 and a low of 6,765.06. Retail investors bought 322.9 billion won ($237 millio October 1, 2026

KOSPI falls for third day as foreign selling erases AI-led gains SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - South Korean stocks fell for a third straight session Wednesday as heavy foreign and institutional selling erased early gains in chip shares fueled by optimism over artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure spending. The KOSDAQ bucked the decline as semiconductor equipment and battery shares advanced. The benchmark KOSPI fell 0.48 percent, to close at 6,838.04. It opened 1.06 percent higher than the previous session's close at 6,943.47 and climbed September 30, 2026

For young Koreans, subscriptions make more sense than ownership SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - A recent Samsung Electronics sales pitch for newlyweds in Cheongdam, a high-end shopping district in southern Seoul, was unusual: the familiar lineup of refrigerators, washing machines and TVs was missing. Instead, the household appliance giant was selling a subscription package: kitchen and living room appliances bundled with care services and tailored to the size of a couple’s first home. The pitch reflected a changing calculation among younger September 30, 2026

Korean securities issues plunge nearly 40% Aug amid rising yields SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) —South Korean securities offerings fell 38 percent on month in August on sluggish stock market and bond demand from higher rates, government data showed Wednesday. Companies issued securities worth 16.33 trillion won ($12 billion) in August compared with - 15.88 trillion won in bonds and 454.9 billion won in equities, according to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). Bond sales fell 14.8 percent, largely due to smaller financial issues. Issua September 30, 2026

Japan leads Asian stocks while Korean bonds rebound SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) -Japanese shares led East Asian markets Wednesday as Seoul and Shanghai managed only modest gains amid a continued rise in U.S. Treasury yields, with the 30-year yield reaching a 24-year high. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.2 percent to 66,271.28 as of midday. South Korea’s KOSPI edged up 0.1 percent, while the Shanghai Composite gained 0.3 percent to 3,842.30. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.25 percent to 24,463.22. The subdued regional September 30, 2026

KOSPI extends losses as U.S. yields jump, foreign selling weighs SEOUL, September 29 (AJP) - South Korean stocks closed lower for a second straight session Tuesday as surging U.S. Treasury yields weighed on sentiment and foreign investors sold heavily, although the KOSPI recovered from a steeper intraday drop. The benchmark KOSPI fell 18.93 points, or 0.27 percent, to close at 6,870.81. The index opened 0.66 percent lower at 6,844.41, briefly moved into positive territory in morning trading and later fell as much as 1.55 percent before clawing September 29, 2026

Robotics, AI, bio widen KOSDAQ IPO choices SEOUL, September 29 (AJP) - South Korea’s IPO market is showing signs of life after a sluggish first half, offering investors looking beyond the chip boom new exposure to robotics, artificial intelligence and biotech on the junior KOSDAQ exchange. September’s newcomers span robot automation, synthetic voices, digital medical devices and consumer brands. Several have posted triple-digit debut gains, although sharp subsequent pullbacks suggest investors are still more will September 29, 2026

Elite university ties fed suspected insider-trading ring in Korea SEOUL, September 29 (AJP) —South Korean financial authorities said Tuesday they had uncovered a suspected insider-trading ring whose members used elite university and consulting-firm connections to share confidential deal information and pocket more than 20 billion won ($14 million) with family members and acquaintances. The alleged scheme turned relationships formed in a university business club and at a global consulting firm into what regulators called an “informati September 29, 2026