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Why Korea’s wealthy investors are buying the dip
Recent weeks have shown once again how quickly geopolitical shocks can ripple through global markets. Tensions in the Middle East pushed oil prices sharply higher and rattled global equities. South Korea’s benchmark Kospi was no exception, suffering a steep pullback that dampened investor sentiment. Although the market has since staged a partial rebound, it has yet to fully regain previous levels. But periods of market turbulence often reveal a clearer picture of investor behavior — especially a
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 -
Foreign stock outflows hit record in February as investors take profits
Foreign investors pulled a record amount of funds from South Korea’s stock market last month as they locked in profits following a rally, central bank data showed Thursday. According to a report on international finance and foreign exchange markets released by the Bank of Korea, foreign investors sold $7.76 billion more Korean securities than they bought in February. The February figure marked the second-largest net outflow on record and ended a five-month streak of net inflows that had continue
March 13, 2026 -
Korean won falls against dollar amid oil price surge over supply concerns
The South Korean currency fell against the US dollar Friday as global oil prices surged amid heightened tensions in the Middle East. The won opened at 1,490.6 per dollar, down 9.4 won from the previous session. The weakness came as global oil prices spiked again overnight, hovering around $100 per barrel, after Iran's new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, warned that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed, raising concerns about supply disruptions and escalating tensions in the Middle East. The foreig
March 13, 2026 -
Seoul shares open sharply lower as new Iran leader vows to keep Hormuz blockade
South Korean stocks started sharply lower Friday after the new Iranian leader vowed to maintain the blockade of the crucial Middle East waterway, pushing global crude prices toward the $100 level. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 170.86 points, or 3.06 percent, to 5,412.39 at the opening bell. The index edged down 0.48 percent Thursday. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 1.56 percent to its lowest point this year. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 1.7
March 13, 2026 -
Seoul shares close lower on extended Middle East tension; won sharply down
South Korean stocks closed lower Thursday amid escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, which triggered extreme volatility in global oil prices. The local currency fell sharply against the greenback. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index moved down 26.7 points, or 0.48 percent, to close at 5,583.25. Trade volume was heavy at 794.1 billion shares worth 23.6 trillion won ($15.9 billion), with gainers outpacing losers 569 to 321. Foreigners sold a net 2.36 trillion won while individuals bought
March 12, 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 -
Seoul shares open lower amid extended woes over oil prices
South Korean stocks started slightly lower Thursday amid escalating oil price fluctuations sparked by the lingering US-Iran conflict and shipping disruptions at the key waterway in the Middle East. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 42.3 points, or 0.75 percent, to 5,567.65 at the opening bell. The index edged up 1.4 percent Wednesday. Overnight, investors sat on the sidelines on Wall Street despite major countries' decisions to release reserve oil amid concerns tension
March 12, 2026 -
AMD's Lisa Su to visit S. Korea next week, may meet with Samsung chief
Lisa Su, the head of Advanced Micro Devices Inc., is expected to visit South Korea next week and meet with local conglomerate executives, industry sources said Wednesday. The chief executive officer of the US chip giant may arrive in South Korea next Wednesday, in what would be her first trip to the country since taking the position in 2014, the sources said. During her visit, Su is expected to meet with Choi Soo-yeon, the CEO of the country's largest local portal operator, Naver. A meeting with
March 11, 2026 -
Seoul shares up for 2nd day on bargain hunting amid Iran woes
South Korean stocks finished higher for the second straight session Wednesday as investors hunted for bargains amid the market's recent volatility caused by the US-Iran war. The local currency rose against the greenback. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index moved up 77.36 points, or 1.4 percent, to close at 5,609.95 after rising as high as 5,746.36. Trade volume was heavy at 1 billion shares worth 26.3 trillion won ($17.9 billion), with gainers far outpacing losers 701 to 198. Individual invest
March 11, 2026 -
Samsung’s Lee Jae-yong is richest Korean on Forbes billionaires list. No. 2 may surprise you
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is the sole Korean on Forbes' world's 100 richest people list this year, with an estimated net worth of $27 billion, according to the US magazine. But the country’s second-richest person may be unfamiliar to many Koreans. Chung Yong-ji, chief executive of biotech firm Caregen, ranked 268th on the global list with a net worth of $11.7 billion. Chung founded Caregen, a South Korean biotechnology company known for peptide-based products, including antiwrink
March 11, 2026 -
Seoul shares open higher amid oil price swings
South Korean stocks started higher Wednesday as investors continued to hunt for bargains despite volatility in global oil prices in the wake of the Middle East crisis. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 154.83 points, or 2.8 percent, to 5,687.42 as of 9:15 a.m. The index rebounded 5.35 percent Tuesday. US President Donald Trump said in a social media post that Iran will face "military consequences" at a level "never seen before" if it has laid any mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
March 11, 2026 -
Seoul shares rebound more than 5% on eased Iran woes; won sharply up
South Korean stocks rebounded more than 5 percent Tuesday after suffering a sharp decline the previous session, as investors hunted bargains amid eased concerns over the US-Iran conflict. The local currency gained sharply against the greenback. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index moved up 280.72 points, or 5.35 percent, to close at 5,532.59. Trade volume was heavy at 913 million shares worth 28.4 trillion won ($19 billion), with gainers far outpacing losers 753 to 146. Individual investors sol
March 10, 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