Lee Yeon Woo

Aug 20, 2024 | koreatimes.co.kr | Lee Yeon Woo

Apartment complexes in Seoul, June 9 / NewsisBy Lee Yeon-wooKoreans expect housing prices to increase over the next year, driven by continued increases in the capital area, according to data from the Bank of Korea (BOK) released Tuesday. The anticipation could hinder the government's efforts to curb rising household debt, which reached a record high in the second quarter of this year.

Aug 18, 2024 | koreatimes.co.kr | Lee Yeon Woo

Visitors wear masks at a hospital in Gwangju, Friday. YonhapBy Lee Yeon-wooAn increasing number of investors are turning to COVID-19-themed stocks following the resurgence of infections. Experts, however, caution against making blind investments driven purely by speculation. The stock price Woojung Bio, a firm specializes in infection control, soared right after the market opened on Monday, hitting its highest level since 2023. Its stock price has jumped 88percent this month alone.

Aug 18, 2024 | koreatimes.co.kr | Lee Yeon Woo

Fans line up to receive Namane Cards in front of a kiosk in Incheon International Airport, July 23. Courtesy of i-Aurora Co.By Lee Yeon-wooInternational K-pop fans frequently use payment methods like PayPal or Alipay to buy albums and merchandise. However, the commissions for these international payments are two to three times higher compared to using domestic credit cards in Korea. This drove Chang Young-su, CEO of fintech firm i-Aurora Co., to develop the Namane Card.

Aug 15, 2024 | koreatimes.co.kr | Lee Yeon Woo

Headquarters of the Financial Supervisory Service in Seoul / Korea Times fileBy Lee Yeon-wooFinancial authorities are ramping up investigations into claims that financial firms have favored selling exchange-traded funds (ETFs) from their affiliated asset management companies. To ensure fairer market practices, the sales of funds by affiliated companies are capped at 25 percent.

Aug 15, 2024 | koreatimes.co.kr | Lee Yeon Woo

Stock prices are displayed on a screen of the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York, Wednesday. EPA-YonhapBy Lee Yeon-wooA significant number of individual investors, who experienced disruptions and financial losses during the U.S. daytime trading halt, are now seeking to transfer their assets to different brokers. With overseas stock trading fees becoming a critical revenue stream, competition to attract new clients is intensifying. "Resolution is going to take a long time.