Seoul News

South Korean inflation ticked down to a 21-month low in April, data showed on Tuesday, coming in below market forecasts for the second month in a row and indicating price pressures are not an immediate threat to Asia’s fourth-largest economy. The consumer price index rose 2.5 percent in April from a year earlier, Statistics Korea More >

North Korea’s military on Monday threatened “special actions” soon to turn parts of the South Korean capital to ashes, accusing Seoul’s conservative government of defaming its leadership. The North has for months been criticising the South’s President Lee Myung-Bak in extreme terms and threatening “sacred war” over perceived insults. There have been no incidents but More >

Seoul shares opened down more than 1 percent on Monday, tracking a broad decline in global peers over renewed euro zone fears as debt insurance costs and government bond yields soared in Spain. Early falls were led by financials. Hana Financial Group slid 3.4 percent while KB Financial Group shed 2.6 percent. The Korea Composite More >

Seoul Nuclear Security Summit kicks off at 4:30 p.m. on Monday in COEX, Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu in southeastern Seoul. It brings together 58 national leaders and heads of international organizations including U.S. President Barack Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda. At the end of the Summit on More >

South Korea accused North Korea on Monday of using a planned satellite launch to further development of a long-range missile capable of carrying a nuclear payload. The North announced Friday that it would launch a rocket in mid-April to put a satellite into orbit for peaceful purposes. After a meeting Monday morning of foreign and More >

Seoul shares are seen stuck in a narrow range on Tuesday as investors wait on a meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s policymaking panel, but may post a modest rebound after Monday’s slide on technical support and signs of easing in China. “Jitters from lacklustre Chinese data have already been priced in. Now the focus More >

South Korea’s foreign minister said on Monday that the question of how to strengthen global atomic safety following Japan’s nuclear disaster would be a key topic at an upcoming summit in Seoul. Kim Sung-Hwan said the Fukushima disaster highlighted the vulnerability of nuclear power plants and the extent of damage that could be caused by More >

South Korea conducted live-fire military drills near its disputed sea boundary with North Korea on yesterday despite Pyongyang’s threat to respond with a “merciless” attack — a threat it did not immediately make good on. Analysts said North Korea was unlikely to respond with more than words because it is focusing on internal stability two More >

Seoul shares are set to open higher on Monday, with foreign investors likely to sustain the market after better-than-expected U.S. jobs data sparked a global equities rally, but gains are seen capped amidst an unresolved debt deal in Greece. “Strong offshore bids on the back of U.S. jobs data may put the 2,000 point level More >

Seoul shares opened slightly higher but dipped soon after the market open on Tuesday, as investors continued to take a breather in the wake of a four-week rally while awaiting clearer signals on the outlook of the global economy. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) was down 0.02 percent at 1,940.14 points as of More >