Economy

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is grappling with an alarming assortment of negative economic data. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by EPA/Yonhap/Jiji and AP) 
Comment

Can South Korea's Yoon weather an economic perfect storm?

Voter discontent mounts ahead of all-important general elections next April

12 November 2023
Jang Young-jin, first vice minister at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, says global companies see increasing promise in South Korea. (Photo by Kim Jaewon)
Technology

South Korea balances policy to draw foreign investment, official says

Global chipmaking equipment companies increase presence in country

8 November 2023
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol gives a speech on the government budget at the National Assembly in Seoul on Oct. 31. 
Economy

Yoon's fiscal pledges collide with South Korea's low-growth reality

President grapples with slow economy months ahead of key elections

31 October 2023
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, behind the wheel, and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, were all smiles in Riyadh. Companies from their countries signed dozens of business deals.
Business Spotlight

From EVs to digital, South Korea bags deals in tense Middle East

Hyundai, Naver join Yoon during his business-focused trip to Saudi Arabia and Qatar

27 October 2023
A delivery worker drives past shoppers at Namdaemun Market in Seoul on March 13.
Economy

South Korea's GDP growth keeps 0.6% clip as exports rebound

Q3 result, slightly above forecast, marks expansion in three straight quarters

26 October 2023
Cranes serve a container ship on a dockyard in Qingdao in east China's Shandong province on Oct. 13.
Trade

China's graphite curbs send South Korea searching for alternatives

Stricter controls by Beijing spark familiar lament of Seoul's vulnerability

24 October 2023
Bank Indonesia explained that the rate hike was a precautionary measure to mitigate the impact of higher prices for imports.
Economy

Indonesian rate hike highlights Asia's tough battle to defend currencies

Prospects of easing fade as Philippine peso and others remain weak

23 October 2023
Visitors to a South Korean defense exhibition look at a display for an unmanned helicopter made by Hanwha Aerospace. (Photo by Kim Jaewon)
Aerospace & Defense Industries

South Korea hosts arms fair amid wars in Europe and Middle East

President Yoon Suk Yeol vows to keep expanding defense industry

17 October 2023
Samsung Electronics has made Vietnam a major part of its global strategy for smartphone production.
Business Spotlight

Samsung smartphone slump casts shadow over Vietnam

South Korean tech titan reluctant to meet Hanoi request for chip plant

1 September 2023
Shipping containers stacked in Busan, South Korea's largest port.
Economy

China economy slump pounds South Korean chip exports

Decline of key export comes as Seoul pledges to trim fiscal outlay

31 August 2023
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's priorities offer little optimism about his chances of raising the country's competitive game. (Pool via Reuters)
Opinion

Sinking exports are a sign of deeper problems for South Korea

Yoon must shed complacency and find ways to revive economic dynamism

30 August 2023
South Korea's top conglomerates had exited the Federation of Korean Industries following a 2016 scandal.
Companies

Samsung, Hyundai, others to rejoin South Korea's top business lobby

Group vows to prevent repeat of 2016 bribery scandal under new name and leader

23 August 2023
The Thai baht touched a 26-year high against the yen this month.
Currencies

Baht, won soar against yen as smaller Asian economies outperform

Thai, South Korean currencies bolstered by rate hikes and years of current-account gains

10 August 2023
Blackpink -- from left: Lisa, Jisoo, Rosé and Jennie -- headlines the Coachella festival on April 22 in Indio, California.
International relations

Blackpink takes Vietnam by storm, riding Korean economic wave

Superstars' concert is just one way South Korean influence has engulfed country

29 July 2023
A truck moves a shipping container at South Korea's Pyeongtaek port in July 2020.
Economy

South Korea's GDP up 0.6% in Q2 despite export decline

Growth comes with imports down, as consumption remains weak

25 July 2023
Ordering on a touch panel at restaurants and stores has become more commonplace in South Korea as the minimum wage has gone up. (Photo by Ahn Seong-bok)
Economy

South Korea's minimum wage set to surpass Tokyo's

Agreed-on 2.5% hike is much smaller than 27% sought by labor

20 July 2023
The Asian financial flu of 1997, Japan's three decades with virtually no inflation and stronger capital markets in the region's emerging economies are helping Asian central banks break away from peers in the West.
Economy

Asia's central banks go easy as West ramps up inflation fight

Weak China demand triggers what some call a 'decoupling' in Asia monetary policy

10 July 2023
An official measures the radiation level of a fish imported from Japan at a wholesale market in Seoul on July 6.
International relations

South Korea signs off on Japan's Fukushima water release plan

Seoul to respect IAEA assessment, expects no significant ecological harm

7 July 2023
A man walks past a Geely Atlas Pro at a dealership in Moscow. Geely has seen sales volume soar in Russia this year.
Trade

Chinese cars and TVs stream into Russia after South Korean exodus

Hyundai, Samsung, LG pull back from market following Ukraine invasion

7 July 2023
Japan and South Korea agreed on the bilateral currency swap arrangement at a "finance ministerial dialogue" held on June 29 in Tokyo.
The Nikkei View

Japan, South Korea should expand mutual economic interests

Currency swap agreement is positive step in improving bilateral relations

5 July 2023
Japan and South Korea aim to resume a currency swap agreement after an eight-year hiatus in a symbolic move to highlight their warming ties.
Japan-South Korea ties

Japan, South Korea set to revive currency swap pact

Finance ministers resume 'finance dialogue' as bilateral ties thaw

28 June 2023
Japan lifted export curbs on high-tech materials to South Korea in March. Restoring preferred export destination status will make it easier for companies in both countries to do business.
Japan-South Korea ties

Japan lifts final South Korea trade restriction

Recent summits paved way for restoring economic cooperation, Seoul says

27 June 2023
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his Vietnamese counterpart, Vo Van Thuong, greet each other in Hanoi on June 23. Their countries have close economic ties.
International relations

South Korea and Vietnam to bolster minerals, energy partnerships

Yoon brings Samsung Chairman Lee, other business chiefs on state visit

23 June 2023
Instant noodles on display at a grocery store in Seoul on June 20. (Photo by Steven Borowiec)
Inflation

South Korea instant noodle price spat comes to a boil

Finance minister encouraging manufacturers to lower cost of staple food

21 June 2023
Some places in South Korea have seen sea salt prices rise 32% since December.
Commodities

South Korea sea salt prices spike amid fears of Fukushima wastewater

Buyers appear to be hoarding before Japan releases treated water off Pacific coast

17 June 2023