Articles by Choi Ji-won
Choi Ji-won
jwc@heraldcorp.com-
Nvidia dethrones Tesla as Korea's top stock pick
US chip giant Nvidia has become South Korea's most-owned foreign stock, replacing Tesla in the top spot after four years. As of Thursday, South Koreans held a combined $11.07 billion worth of Nvidia stocks, according to the Korea Securities Depository's securities information portal. This figure surpassed $10.67 billion in Tesla shares. Nvidia has dethroned Tesla as the top stock pick among Korean investors for the first time since July 2020, when the world's biggest electric vehi
Market May 30, 2024
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Finance minister hints at tax incentives for local firms
The South Korean government is ramping up discussions on specific tax incentives aimed at enhancing the market value of local companies, with plans to conduct public hearings over the next two months. "We talked about tax incentives for the Value-up Program on several occasions. But now is the time for us to discuss more specific plans," Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok told reporters on Monday. "Throughout June and July, we will host public hearings to del
Economy May 28, 2024
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S. Korea’s finance chief in talks for China visit
South Korean Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok said Monday that he is in talks for bilateral meetings with his Japanese and Chinese counterparts following this week’s trilateral summit of the three countries in Seoul. “Upon the invitation from the Chinese government, we are discussing detailed schedules for a possible visit to China. I expect to discuss diverse issues, including supply chains,” the nation’s top policymaker said at a press conference
Economy May 27, 2024
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Banks to resume compensation talks for ELS losses
Major local banks are expediting compensation procedures for losses tied to Hong Kong-linked derivative products, with some poised to distribute payments this week. KB Kookmin Bank, the largest seller of equity-linked securities tracking the troubled Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, will officially begin negotiations for voluntary compensation with clients starting Monday, an official from the bank said Sunday. The bank plans to address accounts based on their order of maturation, starting wit
Industry May 26, 2024
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[KH Explains] Hong Kong rally spurs hope for ELS loss mitigation
Hong Kong stocks surged to a 10-month high Monday, continuing a bullish rally and sparking hopes of South Korea's recovery from significant losses tied to equity-linked securities tracking the Chinese index. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, tracking major Chinese stocks on Hong Kong's main bourse, reached an annual high of 6,954 on Monday, setting daily records. The following day, it opened slightly lower at around 6,909, but this was still 38 percent up from January's annua
Industry May 21, 2024
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Foreign holdings of top 4 Korean finance giants hit record high
Foreign holdings in South Korean banking groups' shares have surged to a record high, driven by government and corporate efforts to boost local stock values. Industry reports indicate that the average foreign ownership of shares in four major local finance groups -- KB, Shinhan, Hana and Woori -- reached 62.7 percent Friday, marking an all-time high. This figure reflects a 3.1 percent increase from the end of last year, significantly higher than the average 1 percent increase observed on Ko
Industry May 20, 2024
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[KH Explains] Why Korea's so tough on short selling
Since November, South Korea has intensified its crackdown on illegal short selling by institutional investors, uncovering widespread practices among global banks. In an interim results announcement earlier this month, the Financial Supervisory Service revealed that all nine banks investigated had engaged in illegal short selling totaling approximately 211.12 billion won ($155.8 million) in Korean stocks. With ongoing investigations into the remaining foreign five banks, this figure is expected t
Economy May 19, 2024
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[Photo News] Seoul seeks 'best sleeper'
Seoulites continue their search for winners of quality rest. Following last weekend's zoning out contest, a best sleeper competition was held on Saturday afternoon at Yeouido Hangang Park. Starting at 2 p.m., participants napped for an hour and a half, during which their heart rates were measured every half hour. The winner was determined by the greatest difference between their baseline heart rate, measured before the nap, and their lowest heart rate during the nap. This contest was part o
Social Affairs May 18, 2024
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Korea Eximbank extends $120m loan to Cambodia for road development
The state-run Export-Import Bank of Korea said Friday it has signed an agreement to provide a $120 million loan to Cambodia to support the enhancement of the Southeast Asian country's provincial road infrastructure. Korea Eximbank President Yoon Hee-sung and ROS Seilava, secretary of state at Cambodia's Ministry of Economy and Finance, inked the contract at a ceremony held at the South Korean presidential office in Yongsan-gu, on the occasion of a summit between Korean President Yoon S
Economy May 17, 2024
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Woori partners with India’s Tata Motors in auto finance push
Woori Financial Group on Thursday announced a new partnership with Indian auto giant Tata Motors as part of its strategy to expand its presence in the global auto finance market. Woori Financial Group Chairman Yim Jong-yong and Tata Motors Executive Director Girish Wagh held an agreement signing ceremony for business cooperation at Woori’s headquarters in Seoul on Thursday. Tata Motors is a flagship subsidiary of India's top conglomerate Tata Group, accounting for around a third of th
Industry May 16, 2024
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Woori Bank joins race for 4th online-only lender
Woori Bank, a major commercial lender in South Korea, has entered the competition to secure a license for the country's fourth internet-only bank. An official from Woori Bank confirmed Tuesday that the company recently submitted a letter of intent to Korea Credit Data to join the firm's consortium to win approval to launch an internet-only bank. This marks the first time a local commercial bank has officially delivered its commitment to join the race. "Woori Bank has consistently
Industry May 14, 2024
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K bank racks up record earnings ahead of market debut
South Korea's internet-only lender, K bank, witnessed a significant improvement in its earnings as it gears up for its market debut this year. The bank announced Monday that its net profit in the first quarter surged nearly fivefold to 50.7 billion won ($37 million), from 10.4 billion won in the same period last year, reaching a new quarterly high. The bank stated the record performance results from a balanced growth in both deposit and loan balances, which increased by 25.7 percent and 6.6
Industry May 13, 2024
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Toss Securities logs record quarterly profit in Q1
Toss Securities, the online-only brokerage arm of Korean fintech giant Viva Republica, continues its upward trajectory, marking a significant milestone with its highest-ever quarterly net profit in the first quarter. The company announced Monday that its net profit soared to a record 11.9 billion won ($8.7 million) in the first quarter, rebounding from a net loss of 400 million won in the same period last year. This figure is equivalent to eight times the annual net profit of 1.5 billion won rec
Industry May 13, 2024
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Loans of self-employed swell 50% in four years
The reliance on bank loans among self-employed South Koreans has surged considerably since the onset of the pandemic, with the overall loan volume and the default rate rising steeply in the past four years. According to data from the nation's major credit ratings firm Nice, provided to Rep. Yang Kyung-sook of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, the outstanding loans to self-employed individuals from local financial institutions totaled 1,112.74 trillion won ($811 billion) as of t
Economy May 12, 2024
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Financial regulator to complete short selling probe this year
South Korea's chief financial regulator, Financial Supervisory Service Governor Lee Bok-hyun, said the agency plans to conclude its ongoing investigation into illegal short selling by the end of the year. He made the statement during a meeting with a group of reporters on Thursday. "We've completed investigations into some companies and made significant progress with three others. About five companies remain, and, if possible, our goal is to wrap up the investigation by the end of
Economy May 9, 2024
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