Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Hanmi Semiconductor announced on the 18th the purchase of a 6,230-pyeong factory from Mercury in Incheon Juwang National Industrial Complex for establishment as Factory 8, with total investment reaching 130 billion won to expand AI semiconductor equipment production capacity. The investment

According to Interfax, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium transported 33.35 million tonnes of crude oil in the first half of 2026, down from 36.024 million tonnes in the same period of 2025.

According to Han-Mi Semiconductor, on August 18, the South Korean semiconductor equipment maker acquired a 6,230-tsubo factory in Incheon from Mercury to establish Factory 8, its largest production facility. The company will invest a total of 130 billion won, including 56 billion won for the factory

Samyang Foods reported second-quarter revenue of 770.3 billion won and operating profit of 176.2 billion won, representing year-over-year increases of 39.3% and 46.7% respectively, driven by strong overseas sales of its Buldak brand in the US and Europe. Securities analysts cited the results as

According to Bitget trading data, South Korea's KOSPI index (benchmark equity index) fell over 2% by market close on August 18.

KOSDAQ-listed company Venueg holds Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix shares valued at up to 1.1 trillion won, according to an analysis released on the 18th by independent research firm ARIS. The report estimates Venueg owns approximately 1.5 million Samsung Electronics shares and 40,000 SK Hynix shar

According to Yonhap Infomax, South Korea's international airline fuel surcharge will increase to stage 21 starting in September, up from stage 14 in August. The jump reflects crude oil prices surging 25.4% to $149.29 per barrel over the past month, driven by rising global crude prices.

According to Newsis, Samyang Foods posted strong Q2 results on August 18, with overseas sales reaching 645.8 billion won, up 46.7% year-over-year and surpassing 600 billion won in quarterly sales for the first time. Operating profit rose 46.7% to 176.2 billion won. U.S. sales breached 200 billion wo

Upbit parent company Dunamu and Bithumb, South Korea's two largest cryptocurrency exchanges, reported sharp declines in revenue and profits for the first half of 2026, according to filings with the Financial Supervisory Service. Dunamu's consolidated operating revenue fell 49.1% year-over-year to 40

According to Masahiro Ichikawa, strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management, on Aug 18, fiscal discipline from the Japanese government combined with appropriate interest rate hikes from the Bank of Japan could prevent further yen depreciation without repeated currency intervention. Ichikawa

Korea Investment & Securities announced the launch of its new comprehensive financial investment account product, IMA S6, on August 18, with a 200 billion won allocation limit until August 25. The performance-based product distributes returns generated from corporate finance-related asset

According to CME data, on August 17, precious metals and energy futures showed mixed performance. Silver volume increased 14,071 contracts to 56,676 and open interest rose 2,337 to 121,117. Brent crude oil volume rose 4,355 to 135,873, with open interest up 1,434 to 249,172. Gold volume

The KOSPI stock market recorded its lowest daily average trading amount and volume of the year in August despite a rebound past the 7,000-point level on August 18, according to Korea Exchange data. Daily average trading amount reached 25.745 trillion won in August, the lowest monthly figure this yea

Strategy, the world's largest Bitcoin digital asset treasury company, faces renewed concerns over potential exclusion from the MSCI index following a May 3 proposal by Morgan Stanley Capital International. The concerns first emerged in October 2025 during MSCI's index revision discussions and have r

The European Central Bank published a blog post on the 17th (local time) warning that US technology stock corrections could occur despite AI's transformative economic potential, with risks of global financial market contagion, according to the Financial Times. The ECB stated that even if current sto

Coinone announced on the 18th the launch of a main video series for its 2026 brand campaign promoting the company's core services. The campaign follows Coinone's formation of a financial innovation alliance with new shareholders Korea Investment & Securities and OKX, previously teased through

According to Park Sang-hyuk, editor-in-chief of Digital Assets at SamproTV, MicroStrategy faces renewed concerns about potential removal from the MSCI index on August 18. The concerns emerged after MSCI proposed new inclusion criteria on August 3, evaluating

According to Yonhapnews, on August 18, South Korea's KOSPI index rebounded to 7,127.77 points, up 2.15%, recovering above the 7,000 level on strength from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. However, daily trading volume and transaction value hit

Cathie Wood's Ark Invest executed a major portfolio rebalancing on the 17th (US local time), selling large positions in metaverse and e-commerce stocks while concentrating firepower on NVIDIA and fintech companies, according to Investing.com. The asset manager sold 592,227 shares of metaverse

According to a blog post by the European Central Bank reported by Financial Times on August 17, the ECB warned that U.S. technology stock valuations may face corrections despite AI's transformative potential, with shocks potentially spreading globally. The ECB noted that eurozone households have