It was found that last year’s profitability in the construction industry fell to the lowest level in 10 years, Biz.Chosun.com reported. According to the report “Analysis of 2024 management performance of construction companies subject to external audits and marginal corporations,” published by the Construction & Economy Research Institute of Korea (CERIK) on the 28th, the net profit margin of construction corporations subject to external accounting audits is 0.8%. CERIK said that it is the first time since 2015 that the net profit margin has fallen into the 0% range.

Homeplus, which is undergoing corporate rehabilitation proceedings, conducted a public competitive bidding to find a company for acquisition and merger (M&A) but received no applicants, the Chosun Daily reported. According to the Seoul Rehabilitation Court and Homeplus on the 26th, no bids were submitted by 3 p.m. that day, the deadline for acquisition bids. Earlier, Harex Infotech, an AI and payment solutions company, and Snowmad, a real estate development firm, which had submitted letters of intent, also did not participate in the final bidding.

South Korea's ruling Democratic Party will propose a bill this week that would facilitate the country's investment in the U.S. under a deal that cuts tariffs on the country's exports, financial news service Money Today reported on Tuesday, Reuters reported. The Democratic Party agreed with the South Korean government to introduce the bill on November 26, it reported. No further details were immediately available. The two countries on November 14 announced the details of implementing the deal reached by their presidents in late October that would lower U.S.

The South Korean Financial Supervisory Service and creditor banks are working to select corporations that will undergo restructuring next year, Chosun Biz reported. With a slump in domestic demand and the trio of high inflation, high interest rates and a strong dollar, the number of corporations at risk of insolvency is expected to increase from a year earlier. According to the financial sector on the 14th, major creditor banks are conducting regular credit risk assessments of small and midsize corporations with credit exposure from financial institutions of less than 50 billion won.

Two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korea's Lee Jae Myung met and announced they had resolved months of negotiations over tariffs and security issues, the two sides have yet to release any agreement on paper, Reuters reported. South Korean officials say the delay appears to centre on discussions over their request for Washington's blessing to build a nuclear-powered submarine, which Lee raised publicly when he met Trump on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific forum in South Korea last month.

E-commerce company WeMakePrice has been declared bankrupt. This comes 1 year and 4 months after it triggered a large-scale unpaid settlement crisis in July of last year and applied for corporate rehabilitation proceedings, the Chosun Daily reported. Seoul Rehabilitation Court’s Rehabilitation Division 3 (Chief Judge Kim Joon-young) finalized the decision to terminate WeMakePrice’s rehabilitation process on the 10th and declared bankruptcy.

South Korea's central bank has sounded the alarm on won-denominated stablecoins, warning private issuers lack the institutional trust required to maintain stable currency and urging traditional banks to take the lead instead, Decrypt.com reported. The Bank of Korea (BOK) released a report Monday outlining major risks associated with won-pegged stablecoins, comparing them to historical currency failures from America's mid-19th-century free-banking era to Korea's own Dangbaekjeon crisis under King Gojong.

South Korea’s central bank held its policy rate steady for a third straight meeting, reflecting caution over financial-stability risks and uncertainty over tariffs, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Bank of Korea on Thursday left its benchmark seven-day repurchase rate unchanged at 2.50%, as widely expected, preserving policy space while signaling that it is ready to act if needed. The BOK’s extended pause comes against a backdrop of continued household-debt growth in South Korea.

Nearly four out of 10 South Korean construction companies were found to be potential insolvent firms last year, unable to cover their interest expenses with operating profits, the Chosun Daily reported. As the construction industry downturn has prolonged, a significant number of construction companies have found themselves in a state of insolvency where even paying interest with operating profits has become difficult, making normal business operations challenging.