Daily Briefing · 2026-09-22

However, selling by individual investors ahead of the Chuseok holiday limited the close to a marginal gain. In the US stock market, Meta's stock price surged 11 percent following the launch of its AI assistant Muse, and the Nasdaq set a new all-time high. AMD's market capitalization also surpassed 1 trillion dollars, with semiconductor stocks broadly strong. On the international stage, with President Xi Jinping's visit to the US imminent, a proposal for the resumption of 6 billion dollars annually in US LNG imports has raised expectations for US-China economic cooperation. Domestically, as the Bank of Korea raised its benchmark interest rate by 0.25 percentage points, household and corporate interest burdens are expected to increase by 3.3 trillion won and 3.7 trillion won, respectively. In particular, concerns over financial system risk are growing as the delinquency rate among vulnerable self-employed borrowers has reached 12.71 percent and the proportion of marginal companies has hit a record high of 19.1 percent. The five major banks exhausted their entire annual household loan increase targets within a single month, and lending thresholds are expected to remain high through the end of the year. In the real estate market, Seoul apartment prices are on the verge of a 85th consecutive week of gains, with the cumulative rate of increase surpassing 17 percent. The government is pushing forward a plan to supply 1.19 million units of public housing, but securing funding and purchase prices has been pointed out as key challenges. Mokdong Complexes 9 and 13 in Seoul passed integrated deliberation, putting a 7,810-unit reconstruction project on track, and with large-scale relocation compensation payments for Jamsil Jugong Complex 5 expected next year, an impact on the Gangnam-area jeonse and monthly rental markets is anticipated. In the industrial sector, POSCO Future M signed an LFP cathode material supply contract worth approximately 1.1 trillion won with SK On, completing a supply system covering all three domestic battery makers. Samsung C&T has invested 95 billion won in US-based Kairos Power, formally entering the next-generation small modular reactor market. Hanwha Aerospace will invest 3 trillion won to build an ammunition production base in Arkansas, USA, expanding its entry into the North American defense industry. Hyundai Motor Group is pursuing plans to deploy the humanoid robot Atlas on its production lines, anticipating productivity improvements. In the media industry, six companies have joined the bidding for JoongAng Ilbo, with full due diligence currently underway. Lastly, from the 24th to the 27th during the Chuseok holiday period, highway tolls will be fully waived and fuel taxes will be reduced, easing the transportation cost burden on citizens during the holiday.