Seoul, March 12 (IANS) Foreign investment in the South Korean stock market recorded its largest ever monthly net outflow in February amid growing caution over a potential artificial intelligence (AI) bubble and profit-taking, central bank data showed on Thursday.Offshore investors sold a net $13.5 billion worth of local equities last month, following $500 million worth of net selling in January, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK), reports Yonhap news agency.The February figure ma…
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Seoul, March 10 (IANS) The South Korean economy expanded 1 per cent in 2025 amid strong exports but posted negative growth in the fourth quarter, central bank data showed on Tuesday.The country’s real gross domestic product (GDP) — a key measure of economic growth — contracted 0.2 per cent from the previous quarter in the October-December period, compared with its earlier estimate of a 0.3 per cent contraction, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).It marked the countr…
Seoul, March 10 (IANS) South Korea’s per capita income edged up 0.3 per cent in 2025 to remain in the $36,000 range, as the depreciation of the Korean won against the US dollar offset actual solid income growth, central bank data showed on Tuesday.Nominal per capita gross national income (GNI) stood at $36,855 last year, marking a 0.3 percent increase from a year earlier, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).In terms of the won, the GNI climbed 4.6 percent from a year e…
Seoul, March 8 (IANS) The daily volatility of the Korean won against the US dollar has risen to its highest level since the Covid-19 pandemic amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, data showed on Sunday.The won has fluctuated sharply following the US-Israeli joint attacks on Iran on February 28, with the average daily fluctuation of the won against the greenback reaching 13.2 won as of Friday, according to the economic statistics system of the Bank of Korea, reports Yonhap news agency.The …
Seoul, March 6 (IANS) South Korea recorded its fifth-largest monthly current account surplus in January, driven by a semiconductor upcycle and strong exports, central bank data showed on Friday.The current account surplus totalled US$13.26 billion in January, down from $18.7 billion in December, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).Compared with the same month a year earlier, however, the figure surged 397.4 percent, marking the fifth-largest monthly surplus on record, reports Yonhap news agency…
Seoul, Feb 27 (IANS) Foreign currency deposits in South Korea fell for the first time in three months in January, due to a decline in corporate deposits, central bank data showed on Friday.Outstanding foreign currency-denominated deposits held by residents stood at US$118.03 billion at the end of January, down $1.4 billion from a month earlier, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK), reports Yonhap news agency.It marked the first on-month decline since October, following gains in Nov…
Seoul, Feb 26 (IANS) South Korean stocks soared more than 3 per cent to close at a fresh record high of over 6,300 on Thursday as investors were buoyed by artificial intelligence (AI) prospects following Nvidia’s better-than-expected earnings report. The local currency gained slightly against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) earned 223.41 points, or 3.67 percent, to finish at a record high of 6,307.27. The index has risen for the six consecutive day, repo…
Seoul, Feb 26 (IANS) South Korea’s central bank kept its benchmark interest rate steady on Thursday, citing stronger-than-expected growth momentum, as it sought to safeguard financial stability amid a weak local currency and an unstable housing market.In a widely expected decision, the Monetary Policy Board of the Bank of Korea (BOK) held the key rate unchanged at 2.5 percent in its latest rate-setting meeting in Seoul, reports Yonhap news agency.It marked the sixth consecutive on-hold decision,…
Seoul, Feb 24 (IANS) South Korea’s business sentiment turned positive for March, marking the first rebound in four years, due to the country’s robust exports of chips and automobiles, a poll showed on Tuesday.The business survey index (BSI) of the country’s top 600 companies by sales stood at 102.7 for next month, according to the monthly poll by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), reports Yonhap news agency.A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists, while a figure above th…
Seoul, Feb 20 (IANS) South Korea’s household credit growth slowed in the fourth quarter of 2025 amid tighter lending regulations, though the total outstanding amount reached an all-time high, central bank data showed on Friday.Outstanding household credit stood at 1,978.8 trillion won (US$1.36 trillion) as of end-December, up 14 trillion won from three months earlier, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK), reports Yonhap news agency.The reading marks the highest since th…