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…
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Seoul, March 3 (IANS) South Korean stocks plummeted nearly 5 per cent late Tuesday morning amid escalating concerns over possible economic impacts from the ongoing Middle East conflict.South Korea’s main bourse operator, the Korea Exchange (KRX), issued a sell-side circuit breaker, temporarily halting trading after a sharp drop sparked by market concerns over U.S. airstrikes on Iran.Selling of the KOSPI 200 Futures index was suspended for five minutes at 12:05 p.m., according to KRX.The index fe…
Seoul, March 1 (IANS) South Korea’s exports jumped nearly 30 per cent from a year earlier in February to mark the highest level ever recorded for the month, driven by growing demand for semiconductors amid the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, government data showed on Sunday.Outbound shipments totaled $67.45 billion last month, up 29 per cent from $54.2 billion a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, reports Yonhap news agency.The record…
Seoul, Feb 27 (IANS) The government on Friday decided to allow global tech giant Google to transfer government-supplied high-precision map data of South Korea to its overseas facilities, contingent on supplementary measures to address security concernsThe Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which oversees national mapping policy, made the decision after holding a meeting with officials from foreign, defence and other related ministries, reports Yonhap news agency.Google filed its lat…
Seoul, Feb 25 (IANS) South Korea and the United States will stage their annual joint springtime military exercise next month to strengthen their combined defense posture as they are preparing for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington to Seoul, the allies’ militaries said Wednesday.The Freedom Shield (FS) exercise is scheduled to take place from March 9-19, involving the field training exercise dubbed “Warrior Shield,” according to the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (…
Seoul, Feb 25 (IANS) The number of babies born in South Korea grew at the fastest pace in 15 years in 2025, with the country’s total fertility rate rising to 0.8 for the first time in four years, government data showed on Wednesday.A total of 254,500 babies were born last year, up 6.8 per cent, or 16,100, from 2024, according to the provisional data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The ministry will announce the final statistics in August, reports Yonhap news agency.The 2025 tally marks…
Seoul, Feb 25 (IANS) Hyundai Motor, Kia and BMW Korea will voluntarily recall 107,158 vehicles across 37 models due to manufacturing defects that could pose fire risks, the transport ministry said on Wednesday.According to the ministry, 37,690 units of four Hyundai models, including the Kona Electric, are subject to corrective measures over a battery management system (BMS) software issue, which could prevent early detection of fire risks.Kia will recall 1,590 units of the Niro electric vehicle …
Gwacheon, Feb 25 (IANS) A new special counsel team officially launched on Wednesday to investigate remaining suspicions surrounding ousted former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, his failed martial law bid and allegations involving his wife.Special counsel Kwon Chang-young has been tasked with reopening investigations into insurrection charges stemming from Yoon’s failed martial law bid, along with corruption allegations tied to former first lady Kim Keon Hee and the 2023 death of a Marine….
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 22 (IANS) Foreign investors have posted a net sale of around 9 trillion won ($6.2 billion) on the main bourse this year through last week, data showed on Sunday.Overseas investors have sold a net 9.1 trillion won worth of shares on the main bourse in 2026 as of Friday, compared with a net sale of 4.6 trillion won for all of 2025, according to the Korea Exchange (KRX).In detail, foreigners sold a net 9.5 trillion won worth of shares in Samsung Electronics Co., with the stock soaring 59…