Economy
South Korea hits 15 banks and brokers with record $1.2bn fine for rigging government bond auctions
Korea's competition watchdog says the dealers that buy the government's bonds swapped and fixed their bids for three and a half years, pushing up the rate the state paid. The fine is more than double Korea's previous cartel record, and about three times, at today's exchange rates, what Europe charged banks in a similar case.
October 2026 CPI: Why there is no annual inflation rate, and what it would likely be
US consumer prices rose 0.4% in October, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Tuesday. The report had no year-over-year inflation rate, because the fall 2025 government shutdown stopped price collection in October 2025. Applying the method the BLS used to fill that gap, HOLT NEWS estimates the annual rate at about 4%.
Naver Pay–Upbit merger: Korea's antitrust staff see competition risks, even in a won stablecoin that doesn't exist yet
Upbit and Naver Pay are in different businesses, yet Korea's competition watchdog says putting them under one roof could reduce competition. It even weighed a won stablecoin market that does not exist yet. Still, the plan on the table is conditions, not a ban.
The US and Europe held. Britain raised rates. The minutes give three reasons
The Bank of England raised its rate to 4% on November 5. The US and the euro area held rates a week earlier. We follow the official documents to see the reasons the Bank gave, and when British households will feel it.
Korea's regulator says Baemin and Coupang stopped restaurants from selling cheaper on other apps. Europe fought the same fight over hotel apps a decade ago
Korea's competition watchdog gave the two delivery apps provisional fines totaling 631.9 billion won. We look at what changed in Europe after it banned the same kind of clause.
Dominant firms charging Koreans more than buyers abroad could face penalties under a proposed competition rule
Dominant firms that charge more in Korea without good reason could be found to be abusing their power.
For the first time, more than half of Korean employees earn 3 million won or more a month
The share earning 5 million won or more also hit a first-half record, but the gap between industries was wide.