Korea's Q1 payroll gains skew older while youth jobs slump SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - South Korea's payroll job growth accelerated in the first quarter, but positions held by younger workers continued to shrink to highlight an uneven labor-market recovery concentrated among older workers and service industries. The number of wage-worker jobs stood at 20.828 million in the first quarter, measured as of February, up 292,000 or 1.4 percent from a year earlier, the Ministry of Data and Statistics said Monday. The increase widened from ju August 24, 2026

BOK August rate call splits 5-4 over back-to-back hike SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - The Bank of Korea has made clear that monetary policy is biased toward further tightening after its July rate increase, but economists are narrowly divided over whether it will deliver a back-to-back hike this week or wait until the fourth quarter to assess inflation and a sharp repricing in global bond markets. Five of nine economists in a combined AJP and Aju Business Daily survey expect the Monetary Policy Board to hold the benchmark rate at 2.75 percent August 24, 2026

Early-August exports hit record high as chip shipments stay strong SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - South Korea's exports surged 56 percent from a year earlier to a record high for August in the first 20 days of this month, as semiconductor shipments nearly tripled and again drove the country's export growth, according to preliminary data released by the Korea Customs Service (KCS) on Friday. Exports totaled $55.21 billion from Aug. 1 to 20, the highest ever for the period, while imports rose 19.0 percent to $41.23 billion, resulting in a trade sur August 21, 2026

Financial authorities to offer more support for borrowers amid rising global yields SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - South Korea will prepare additional support for vulnerable groups as rising long-term global bond yields threaten to raise borrowing costs for households and businesses, the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF) said on Friday. Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yun-cheol convened a joint meeting in Seoul with Financial Services Commission Chairman Lee Eog-weon, Financial Supervisory Service Governor Lee Chan-jin and Bank of Korea Deputy Governo August 21, 2026

Newly appointed BOK deputy governor signals focus on stability SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - Seasoned foreign-exchange expert Kwon Min-soo was appointed senior deputy governor of the Bank of Korea. In his inaugural address on Friday, he highlighted inflation, household leverage, property prices and currency volatility, offering an early glimpse of a policy approach closely aligned with BOK governor Shin Hyun-song but shaped by his three decades of experience in foreign-exchange markets. Kwon said semiconductor strength had lifted growth beyond earli August 21, 2026

Producer prices fall for 1st time in 11 months SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - South Korea's producer prices fell for the first time in 11 months in July as lower oil and import costs eased inflationary pressures that had built up earlier this year, while semiconductor prices continued to surge, according to data released by the Bank of Korea on Friday. An index gauging producer prices stood at 129.39, down 0.4 percent from June but up 7.7 percent from a year earlier, marking the first month-on-month decline since August last year. August 21, 2026

South Korea's short-term external debt ratio hits 15-year high SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - South Korea's short-term external debt relative to its foreign-exchange reserves rose to the highest level in about 15 years in the second quarter, even as the government said the country's overall external payment capacity remained sound. The ratio climbed to 46.5 percent at the end of June from 43.3 percent three months earlier, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said Thursday. It was the highest reading since the second quarter of 2011, when t August 20, 2026

South Korea extends curbs on hoarding urea, syringes for two more months SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - South Korea will extend anti-hoarding measures on automotive urea solution and medical syringes for two months through the end of October, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said Thursday. The ministry made the decision at an emergency meeting chaired by Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yun-cheol. But it will ease inventory rules for urea as supply conditions improve. The measures, which were due to expire at the end of this month, will remai August 20, 2026

South Korea to raise FX reporting threshold for foreign banks SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - South Korea will raise the reporting threshold for foreign-currency borrowing by local branches of foreign banks to US$100 million from $50 million, as part of efforts to ease foreign-exchange rules and improve market access, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said on Wednesday. The limit on cash-pooling arrangements will also be raised to at least $100 million from $50 million, Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yun-cheol said at a meeting with August 19, 2026

KDI raises South Korea's growth forecast to 3.2% SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - South Korea is expected to grow 3.2 percent this year, the Korea Development Institute said on Wednesday. The revised outlook is higher than its previous forecast of 2.5 percent in May, as well as the government's 3 percent estimate and the Bank of Korea (BOK)'s current forecast of 2.6 percent. The state-run think tank attributed the stronger outlook to the global artificial intelligence (AI)-led boom, which has boosted semiconductor exports and faci August 19, 2026