Korea Zinc chair eyes buyback of Bain Capital stake amid control battle

Korea Zinc Chairman Choi Yun-beom is reportedly exploring ways to buy back the stake in the smelter held by private equity firm Bain Capital, a move that could strengthen his position in the ongoing control battle with Young Poong and MBK Partners. According to industry sources Friday, Choi’s camp has recently been seeking financing options to acquire Bain Capital’s 2.01 percent stake in Korea Zinc. Possible approaches include a direct buyback or bringing in new financial partners to take over t

March 13, 2026

Korean Air to buy back catering unit from Hahn & Co. for W750b

Hahn & Co. is selling back Korean Air’s in-flight catering and duty-free retail business to the airline for 750 billion won ($503 million), more than five years after acquiring the unit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The private equity firm said Thursday it has signed definitive agreements to sell its 80 percent stake in Korean Air Catering & Duty Free Service (Korean Air C&D) to the flag carrier. The deal covers 5.01 million shares and is expected to close for about 750 billion won. Once complet

March 13, 2026

Standard Chartered leadership gathers in Seoul for strategy talks

Standard Chartered Korea said Friday that senior executives from its parent organization, Standard Chartered, visited Seoul this week to hold a Group Management Team meeting and engage with employees and clients in Korea. The meeting took place from Monday to Wednesday at Standard Chartered Korea’s headquarters in Jongno, central Seoul. The visit included Standard Chartered Group CEO Bill Winters and other senior executives. Standard Chartered said its global leadership regularly holds managemen

March 13, 2026

Mirae Asset US defense ETF tops W100b amid geopolitical tensions

Mirae Asset Global Investments said Friday that the net assets of its Tiger US Defense Top10 ETF have surpassed 100 billion won ($75 million), as rising geopolitical tensions and expectations of higher US defense spending draw investor interest to American defense stocks. According to the Korea Exchange, the ETF’s net assets reached 110.8 billion won as of Thursday, expanding roughly fourfold since the beginning of the year. The fund has gained 21 percent year-to-date, significantly outperformin

March 13, 2026

Why Korean investors are piling into China robotics ETFs

As Korean companies try to reduce exposure to China amid rising geopolitical tensions, Korean retail investors are doing the opposite — increasing their bets on China’s humanoid robotics industry. The contrast highlights a widening gap between corporate strategy and investor sentiment, as many investors see China’s dominance in manufacturing and supply chains as a key advantage in the emerging robotics economy. Humanoid robotics has quickly become one of the most closely watched technology battl

March 12, 2026

Kospi rebounds as oil prices fall on hopes of early end to war

South Korea’s benchmark Kospi surged over 5 percent Tuesday, rebounding from the previous day’s steep sell-off as hopes for an early end to the conflict in the Middle East lifted global markets. After US President Donald Trump said Monday that the war with Iran was “very complete,” oil prices fell below $90 per barrel, helping drive a recovery in equities worldwide, including in Korea. The Kospi reclaimed the 5,500 mark, closing the session at 5,532.59, up 5.35 percent from the previous session.

March 10, 2026

Kospi rebounds 5% as Middle East tensions ease

South Korea’s benchmark Kospi surged more than 5 percent in early trading Tuesday, rebounding from the previous day’s steep sell-off as expectations grew for an early end to the conflict in the Middle East. After US President Donald Trump said Monday that the war with Iran “is very complete,” oil prices slipped below $90 per barrel, lifting global stock markets, including those in Korea. The Kospi opened sharply higher at 5,523.21, up 5.17 percent from the previous session. The index extended it

March 10, 2026

Kospi plunges, won weakens as oil shock rattles markets

A surge in global oil prices triggered by the war in the Middle East rattled investors Monday, raising concerns about renewed global inflation pressures and weighing heavily on both South Korea’s stock market and the local currency. Higher oil prices are stoking inflation concerns for Korea, a country heavily dependent on energy imports. Rising import costs reduce production efficiency and could deal a major blow across the industrial supply chain, putting additional pressure on the bourse. Pric

March 9, 2026

Kospi tumbles over 8%, triggers circuit breaker

South Korea’s benchmark Kospi tumbled over 8 percent in trading Monday, prompting the activation of a circuit breaker, a 20-minute suspension on trading to curb excessive volatility. The Korea Exchange activated a circuit breaker on the Kospi at around 10:31 a.m., after the index fell more than 8 percent in the course of just over a minute. It was the second activation of a circuit breaker on the main bourse this year. At the time of the activation, the Kospi stood at 5,132.07 points, shedding 8

March 9, 2026

Kospi sinks over 6% as oil surge triggers sell-side sidecar

South Korea’s benchmark Kospi plunged in early trading Monday as surging oil prices triggered by the US-Israel war with Iran rattled global markets, prompting the activation of a sell-side sidecar designed to curb excessive volatility. The Korean won also weakened sharply against the dollar. The Kospi opened at 5,265.37, down 5.72 percent from the previous session, and extended losses to as low as 5,171.53 in early trading. As of 9:35 a.m., the index was trading at 5,234.82, down 6.27 percent. A

March 9, 2026