AI may worsen capital concentration if left unchecked, BOK study SEOUL, Sept. 15 (AJP) —Eight out of 10 new jobs created through the rise of artificial intelligence were in South Korea’s capital region, suggesting the AI-driven economy could worsen capital overconcentration, a Bank of Korea study found Tuesday. Occupations highly exposed to generative AI added 247,000 jobs over the period, with the Seoul metropolitan area accounting for 80.8 percent of the increase, according to a study published on the latest Bank of Korea (BOK) Is September 15, 2026

Korea's M2 growth slows for first time this year in July SEOUL, Sept. 15 (AJP) — South Korea's annual M2 growth slowed for the first time this year in July as readily accessible savings deposits fell while term deposits and money trusts increased as interest rates went higher. M2, a broad measure of money supply, rose 5.8 percent from a year earlier, easing from 6.0 percent in June, according to data released Tuesday by the Bank of Korea (BOK). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, M2 rose 0.3 percent to 4,225.6 trillion September 15, 2026

South Korea's August terms of trade strongest ever SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) - South Korea's purchasing power from trade rose to its strongest level ever in August as soaring semiconductor prices more than offset renewed pressure from higher global oil prices, central bank data showed. The net barter terms of trade index jumped 27.1 percent from a year earlier, the largest gain since the series began in 1988, while the income terms of trade index climbed 60.0 percent, also a record increase, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). September 15, 2026

Overdraft borrowing surges 10% amid stock investment in Korea SEOUL, Sept. 14 (AJP) — Overdraft borrowing at South Korean banks has surged around 10 percent to nearly 70 trillion won ($52 billion) so far this year amid frenzied retail stock investment, government data showed. Outstanding borrowing reached 69.73 trillion won at the end of July, according to Financial Supervisory Service data submitted to Rep. Park Sung-hoon. The figure represents funds actually drawn by borrowers rather than their total approved credit limits. The numb September 14, 2026

Bank of Korea's AI rate-setters keep choosing not to decide SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) — Artificial intelligence can help analyze economic data, but it cannot be relied upon for policymaking because of its susceptibility to bias, a Bank of Korea study showed. The finding emerged from a joint forum the BOK hosted with the Korean Statistical Society on Friday, where researchers described AI systems that could interpret macroeconomic data and simulate rate decisions with fluent, plausible-looking reasoning — but whose errors kept ske September 11, 2026

Finance ministry sees solid recovery for first time since 2024 SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - South Korea's government said Friday the economy was in a "solid recovery" for the first time in two years on strong exports and revived domestic demand, but remained wary of inflationary pressure and employment weakness. The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF) said in its September Green Book that exports increased sharply and domestic demand, including consumption, improved, marking the first use of the "solid recovery" asses September 11, 2026

BOK tests AI agents for economic statistics SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) — The Bank of Korea is testing artificial intelligence agents to interpret statistical changes and simulate policy judgments as it explores wider AI use in South Korea's official economic statistics. The Bank of Korea (BOK) and the Korean Statistical Society opened a joint forum Friday to discuss how artificial intelligence, machine learning and new data techniques can improve the accuracy and timeliness of economic statistics. BOK Senior Deput September 11, 2026

Chip boom: boon or curse for Korea's household debt? SEOUL, September 10 (AJP) - The chip bonanza is not just lifting South Korea's nominal growth to levels unseen in decades. It is also pushing the household debt ratio toward an 11-year low as gross domestic product expands much faster than borrowing. The household debt-to-GDP ratio could fall toward 80 percent this year - or the lowest level since 79.2 percent in 2015 - if double-digit nominal growth of 15 to 20 percent is sustained in the second half. The ratio had already September 10, 2026

BOK sees chip windfall spreading, inflation risks rising SEOUL, September 10 (AJP) - South Korea's exceptional chip windfall, already swelling corporate profits and public finances, is likely to reach households with a lag and can bolster not just consumption but also housing demand and inflation, the Bank of Korea (BOK) reiterated Thursday. The central bank said in its September Monetary Policy Report pointed to the first-half nominal gross domestic product that grew about 22 percent, the first increase above 20 percent since the ear September 10, 2026

Korea's Gen Z is running out of first-job options SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - Gen Z may be an unlucky lot. The pandemic stole much of their college life, and the shift to artificial intelligence is now stripping away some of their first chances to gain real work experience. Lee Jae-hong, 27-year-old living in Seoul with his parents, has been applying jobs for two years, and this year, he finds fewer places to apply. "I feel like standing nowhere. I've started hard all my life and graduated from a decent school. But I September 9, 2026