Korean Stock & Equity Research

Macro & Policy/Currency & Rates

On September 16-17, 2026, the Federal Reserve raised its policy rate a quarter point to 3.75-4.00% — its first hike since 2023 — in a unanimous, more-hawkish-than-expected vote, with its dot plot signaling further tightening through 2027. The Bank of Korea had already hiked twice this year, to 3.0% by late August. The intuitive read is that two central banks hiking together should be a wash for ..

Macro & Policy/Tax & Fiscal Policy

South Korea's official inflation rate sits comfortably around 2.4%, even as Seoul apartment prices have risen sharply this year. That gap isn't a mystery — it's a direct consequence of what Korea's CPI basket does and doesn't measure, and a new housing finance package could be about to test that gap's limits. Table of ContentsComparing Korean and US CPI BasketsThe Missing Piece: Owners' Equivale..

Macro & Policy/Currency & Rates

In January 2025, Korea's National Pension Service quietly executed a currency hedge that helped pull USD/KRW back from a threatened 1,500 toward the 1,300s. In June 2025, it stopped. By September, the Won had breached 1,400 again — vindicating a July prediction that drew public skepticism at the time. And by August 2026, the currency had reversed sharply again, this time strengthening from above..