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South Korea and Japan Financial Regulators to Reinitiate Routine Meetings

South Korea and Japan Financial Regulators to Reinitiate Routine Meetings

SEOUL, Oct. 3 (Korea Bizwire) – The heads of South Korea’s and Japan’s financial regulators on Tuesday agreed to resume regular “shuttle meetings” as part of their efforts to strengthen financial cooperation between the two countries, officials said. Kim Joo-hyun, chairman of Seoul’s Financial Services Commission (FSC), and Teruhisa Kurita, commissioner of Tokyo’s Financial Services [...]

OECD Maintains South Korea’s 2023 Growth Outlook at 1.5%

OECD Maintains South Korea’s 2023 Growth Outlook at 1.5%

SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Korea Bizwire) – The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on Tuesday maintained South Korea’s growth outlook and inflation forecast for 2023 at 1.5 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively. The latest figure is just above a 1.4-percent growth projection suggested by the South Korean government in July. The Paris-based organization had [...]

S. Korea’s ICT Exports Fall for 14th Straight Month in August

S. Korea’s ICT Exports Fall for 14th Straight Month in August

SEOUL, Sept. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s exports of information and communication technology (ICT) products extended their losing streak to 14 months in August but fell at the slowest clip in about 10 months, government data showed Thursday. Outbound shipments of ICT products came to US$16.1 billion last month, down 16.7 percent from $14.6 [...]

Shifting Tides in Holiday Gifting: Consumers Demand Affordable and Eco-Friendly Choices

Shifting Tides in Holiday Gifting: Consumers Demand Affordable and Eco-Friendly Choices

SEOUL, Sept. 7 (Korea Bizwire) —A recent survey has revealed that a majority of South Korean consumers are recognizing the need for a shift in holiday gifting practices. Often, holiday gifts are deemed excessively priced and overpackaged. With the Chuseok holiday season approaching, it’s worth noting that meat is the most coveted food gift across [...]

Real Wages Drop 1.5% in First Half Despite Wage Increase…Survey

Real Wages Drop 1.5% in First Half Despite Wage Increase…Survey

SEOUL, Aug. 31 (Korea Bizwire) — Real wages, after adjusting for inflation, experienced a decline of 1.5 percent year-on-year during the first half of the current year, as revealed by a recent survey. This marks a significant turning point since 2011 when the Ministry of Employment and Labor expanded its survey coverage to encompass “enterprises [...]

Gov’t Considers Extending Fuel Tax Cuts amid Surging Prices, High Inflation

Gov’t Considers Extending Fuel Tax Cuts amid Surging Prices, High Inflation

SEJONG, Aug. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — The government is considering extending a tax cut scheme on fuel consumption, which is set to expire this month, through December, sources said Tuesday, amid soaring energy costs and high inflation. According to the sources, the Ministry of Economy and Finance has been mulling extending the measure and plans [...]

S. Korea Sees 3rd-largest Per-capita GDP Fall Among Major Economies in 2022

S. Korea Sees 3rd-largest Per-capita GDP Fall Among Major Economies in 2022

SEOUL, Aug. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s per-capita gross domestic product (GDP) fell by the most among major economies after Japan and Sweden last year, data showed Wednesday. The country’s per-capita GDP dropped 8.2 percent on-year to come to US$32,142 in 2022, according to the data analyzed by the Bank of Korea based on [...]