Daily Briefing · 2026-10-27

Generative AI company Anthropic filed for an initial public offering on the Nasdaq under the ticker ANT, and it was reported that the company achieved first-half revenue of $16.286 billion, becoming the first in the AI industry to turn a profit. The Bank of Korea announced that third-quarter economic growth came in at 1.0%, exceeding market expectations, with strong semiconductor exports driving growth, while private consumption declined for the first time in 3 years and 9 months. Samsung Electronics achieved record third-quarter operating profit of 107.4 trillion won, driven by strength in its semiconductor business. SK hynix is set to release its third-quarter earnings and shareholder return policy on the 28th; its share price has fallen 31% over the past month, with more than 40% of retail investors currently sitting on unrealized losses. The Korea Fair Trade Commission imposed a fine of 20.1 billion won on Samsung Electronics for deceptive advertising that concealed performance limitations on Galaxy smartphones during gaming, and Samsung Electronics has decided to pursue administrative litigation. Foreign investors have net sold 208 trillion won in the KOSPI this year, and with share buybacks by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix now concluded, whether foreign capital flows back in is being cited as the key variable for the index's recovery. Chinese AI-related stocks have plunged 40% over the past four months, wiping out $480.0 billion in value, in contrast to the large-scale fundraising seen among U.S. AI companies. LG Innotek's third-quarter revenue surpassed 6 trillion won for the first time, but operating profit plunged 53.4% due to the impact of the sharp decline in the won-dollar exchange rate. Hanwha Ocean's third-quarter operating profit rose 67.6% year-on-year, driven by an increase in orders for high-value-added vessels such as LNG carriers. Shinhan Financial Group posted cumulative net profit of 5.0274 trillion won for the first three quarters, up 12.7% year-on-year, marking its highest-ever performance. Mirae Asset Group is set to announce the acquisition of a Japanese securities firm on the 29th, and plans to finalize a domestic acquisition by the end of this year as well. Homeplus has seen numerous stores receive advance notice of power disconnection from Korea Electric Power Corporation due to unpaid electricity bills, and franchise owners of closed stores are facing worsening financial difficulties despite having received refunds. Iran has warned of legal action against South Korean shipping company Sinokor Merchant Marine in connection with crude oil transport through the Strait of Hormuz. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power has obtained continued operation approval for Kori Units 3 and 4 and plans to restart them sequentially in the first half of next year. As wage polarization deepens, the proportion of workers earning 5 million won or more per month reached a record high of 17.6%, while 10% of workers were found to earn less than 1 million won per month.