South Korea Financial News

Asian stocks edged lower as traders grapple with how to position themselves in the countdown to President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs announcement. A regional gauge declined as indexes in Japan and South Korea dropped at the open. Treasury yields advanced after a multi-day drop as traders weighed the odds of Federal Reserve policy easing.

Donald Trump has reiterated that Wednesday will be «Liberation Day» — a moment when he plans to roll out a set of tariffs that he promises will free the United States from foreign goods. The details of Trump's next round of import taxes are still sketchy. Most economic analyses say average U.S. families would have to absorb the cost of his tariffs in the form of higher prices and lower incomes. But an undeterred Trump is inviting CEOs to the White House to say they are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in new projects to avoid the import taxes. It is also possible that the tariffs are short-lived if Trump feels he can cut a deal after imposing them. What exactly does Trump plan to do? He wants to announce import taxes, including 'reciprocal' tariffs that would match the rates charged by other countries and account for other subsidies. Trump has talked about taxing the European Union, South Korea, Brazil and India, among other countries.

finished steel imports during the first 11 months of the financial year, which began in April, stood at 8.98 million metric tons, marking a 15.8% year-on-year increase, according to provisional government data reviewed by Reuters on Tuesday. India, the world's second-biggest crude steel producer, became a net importer in 2023/24, a trend that has continued with rising shipments from China, South Korea and Japan. Last month, India recommended a 12% temporary tax on certain steel products for 200 days, known as a safeguard duty, in an attempt to curb imports. South Korea was the biggest exporter of the alloy to India during April-February, with shipments reaching 2.6 million metric tons, up 7.1% year-on-year, the data showed. Finished steel imports from China totalled 2.4 million metric tons, down 5.3% year-on-year, while imports from Japan reached 1.9 million metric tons, marking a nearly 70% year-on-year increase, the data showed.

The comments came after the three countries held their first economic dialogue in five years on Sunday, seeking to facilitate regional trade as the Asian export powers brace against U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. Japan and South Korea are seeking to import semiconductor raw materials from China, and China is also interested in purchasing chip products from Japan and South Korea, the account, Yuyuan Tantian, said in a post on Weibo. All three sides agreed to strengthen supply chain cooperation and engage in more dialogue on export controls, the post said. During Sunday's meeting, the countries' trade ministers agreed to «closely cooperate for comprehensive and high-level» talks on a South Korea-Japan-China free trade agreement deal to promote «regional and global trade», according to a statement released after the meeting.

Global stocks were poised to endure another rocky session on Tuesday as concerns around President Donald Trump’s looming tariff rollout continued to whipsaw markets. Shares in Australia, Japan and South Korea opened higher while US equity-index futures dropped in early Asian trading. The S&P 500 climbed for the first time in four sessions, though US shares still notched their worst quarter compared to the rest of the world since 2009. As equities bounced, bonds moved away from session highs.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: India's electric vehicle (EV) battery makers could face collateral damage from the Trump tariffs, as foreign manufacturers unload cheap batteries here just as the local companies were ramping up production. India’s fast-growing EV market could absorb the diverted supply and drive down costs for local automakers, experts said, adding that also spells trouble for companies such as Amara Raja Energy & Mobility Ltd, Exide Industries Ltd, Reliance Industries Ltd and Ola Electric Ltd, which are investing billions to build battery plants.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. US President Donald Trump has imposed a stiff 25% tariff on imported cars, trucks and parts that go to make them. The move, ostensibly, is to revive domestic manufacturing.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Mumbai: Indian markets could open up to 1% lower on Tuesday after the Eid holiday, suggests weekly options data, as bears are likely to return ahead of US President Donald Trump’s 2 April deadline for reciprocal tariffs. Trump's comments on the weekend dragged South Korea's Kospi and Japan's Nikkei down by 3-4% on Monday, while Germany's Dax and France's CAC traded 1% lower at the time of writing.

F-35, a fifth-generation fighter, was developed in partnership with eight countries, making it a model of international cooperation. When President Donald Trump introduced its successor, the F-47, he praised its strengths — and said the version sold to allies would be deliberately downgraded. That made sense, Trump said last week, «because someday, maybe they're not our allies.» For many countries wedded to the United States, his remark confirmed a related conclusion: that America can no longer be trusted. Even nations not yet directly affected can see where things are heading, as Trump threatens allies' economies, their defense partnerships and even their sovereignty. For now, they are negotiating to minimize the pain from blow after blow, including a broad round of tariffs expected in April. But at the same time, they are pulling back. Preparing for intimidation to be a lasting feature of U.S. relations, they are trying to go their own way. A few examples:

Before visiting India, Welder admitted he had certain preconceived notions about the country’s public transport. “Before coming to India, the stereotypes about public transport in the country were demolished or old buses and trains and noisy tuk-tuks and rickshaws,” he wrote, caling Indian public transport better than Western Europe's. However, after using the metro, he was impressed by its world-class features and even compared it to some of the best systems globally.

Lower-income buyers will suffer another blow from expected hikes in used car prices as demand surges and supply shrinks. New cars priced under $30,000 are already rare as the average new-vehicle price approaches $50,000. The only way automakers can eke out profits on economy cars, analysts say, is to build them in nations with lower manufacturing costs. A Reuters review of data from two auto research firms found just 16 models with an average sticker price less than $30,000 and only one, Toyota's Corolla, that is assembled in the United States. All others are made in Mexico, South Korea, or Japan. Slapping a 25% tariff on these low-end cars may force price increases that make them unaffordable to their target market or cause some automakers to abandon them entirely, industry analysts said.

The countries' three trade ministers agreed to «closely cooperate for a comprehensive and high-level» talks on a South Korea-Japan-China free trade agreement deal to promote «regional and global trade», according to a statement released after the meeting. «It is necessary to strengthen the implementation of RCEP, in which all three countries have participated, and to create a framework for expanding trade cooperation among the three countries through Korea-China-Japan FTA negotiations,» said South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun, referring to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. The ministers met ahead of Trump's announcement on Wednesday of more tariffs in what he calls «liberation day», as he upends Washington's trading partnerships. Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo are major U.S. major trading partners, although they have been at loggerheads among themselves over issues including territorial disputes and Japan's release of wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Freestyle Wrestling competition at the 2025 Senior Asian Wrestling Championship. According to a release from the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), in the 57kg category, Chirag, the 2024 U23 World Champion, faced an early exit after losing his first match to a Kyrgyz wrestler. His hopes of a repechage round were dashed when the Kyrgyz wrestler lost to a Mongolian opponent, eliminating Chirag's chances of a medal. In the 65kg category, Sujit started strong by winning his opening bout, keeping India's medal hopes alive. However, he lost to a Japanese wrestler in the next round and sustained an injury, forcing him to withdraw from the competition. Among other participants, Vishal Kaliraman (70kg), Chandermohan (79kg), and Jonty (97kg) also faced defeats in their respective bouts, ending their medal hopes. Looking ahead, five weight categories remain in the Freestyle Wrestling competition, with Udit (61kg) and Deepak Punia (92kg) expected to be strong medal contenders tomorrow.

Elon Musk has a lot on his mind. In a candid interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, the tech billionaire and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) warned about the dangers of a declining birth rate and America’s role in holding up Western civilisation. He described the issue as existential, warning that without intervention, civilization could collapse.

Emerging economies such as India, Brazil and Vietnam, which impose tariff on American imports higher than what the US levies on them, face a high risk of reciprocal tariffs, global ratings agency Fitch said. “Brazil, India, Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa, Turkey and, on a simple average tariff basis, Vietnam and Indonesia, impose notably higher tariffs on exports from the US relative to tariffs imposed by the US on imports from these countries,” it said. US President Donald Trump has threatened with his reciprocal tariffs announcement on April 2 against trading partners he says have been “ripping off” the country by imposing high levies. As per the Fitch report, the tariffs in these economies were higher, both on a simple and trade-weighted average basis. “On a simple average basis, the highest differentials are in Brazil, India and Turkey,” Fitch said.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. South Korean gaming giant Krafton will acquire a controlling stake in Pune-based Nautilus Mobile for ₹118 crore and the transaction is expected to give JetSynthesys a part exit.

Lines of Credit and Concessional Financing Scheme, through a lending bank to six partner countries during January 2022-January 2025, the Parliament was informed on Thursday. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said this in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha. The Ministry of External Affairs was asked the details of foreign aid, developmental assistance, and loans provided by India to other countries between January 2022 and January 2025. «Government of India has offered new loans, under the Lines of Credit (LOCs) and Concessional Financing Scheme (CFS), through a lending bank to six partner countries during January 2022-January 2025. »The total amount of loans offered to these partner countries during the above-mentioned period stands at over USD 3.73 billion. This excludes disbursements for ongoing projects under earlier LOCs," the minister said. The MEA was also asked the details of foreign aid, developmental assistance, and loans received by India from other countries between January 2022 and January 2025.

Shares in companies such as Japan's Toyota and Honda and South Korea's Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp fell, wiping off some $16.5 billion in value, after Trump on Wednesday unveiled a 25% tariff on imported cars and light trucks to take effect on April 3. On the streets of Tokyo and Seoul, and in «motor city» Gwangju, people were concerned the levies would have a far-reaching impact, speaking to the singular role the car industry has played in the post-war economic rise of the two U.S. allies. While car production helped transform Germany, Italy and France after World War Two, its influence in Asia has been even more profound. Automakers form the nucleus of vast networks of group companies that impact almost every facet of working life in the two countries. In Japan, where the industry accounts for roughly 3% of gross domestic product, it is the automakers — particularly Toyota — that set the precedent for national wage increases through annual talks between unions and management.

Xi Jinping is making China’s presence more felt across the Indo-Pacific region by testing US allies on sensitive issues, as Donald Trump’s attention is taken up elsewhere. From sending warships off Australia’s coast for unprecedented shooting drills to flying a record number of “grey zone” balloons around Taiwan, and putting pressure on Thailand over human rights issues, Beijing is ramping up efforts to project power in the region. China also issued a strongly worded warning on Taiwan to Tokyo — which doesn’t officially recognize Taipei — against “colluding” with separatists. Trump’s sudden embrace of Russia, skepticism of NATO allies and tariffs that punish friendly nations have fueled concerns about the US as a reliable security partner in Asia, where Washington has for decades provided a buffer to Beijing.

US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday 25 percent tariffs «on all cars that are not made in the United States» effective 12:01 am eastern time on April 3. «We have to think about appropriate measures following this announcement. Naturally, we will consider all options,» Ishiba told parliament. «Japan has made significant investments and significant job creation, which doesn't apply to all countries… We are the number one (country) in investment in the United States,» Ishiba added. «The US president's understanding on this is significantly deepening. However, various things are happening, so we are considering all kinds of countermeasures, and those exist as our options.»