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Tuesday, October 13, 2026English edition
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The Geopolitician

Country risk, from the local press

South Korea · Country watch

KOSPI Plummets, Battery Plant Probe, Celltrion Profit Surge

KOSPI falls over 3% amid tech sell-off; President Lee orders probe into battery plant's worker abuse; Celltrion posts record Q3 profit.

· · 4 sources

The picture Deteriorating

Business conditions in South Korea are deteriorating as KOSPI falls over 3% amid tech sell-off and inflation concerns. Worker safety issues at DN Automotive add to the challenges.

In this briefing Lee Jae Myung · DN Automotive · Celltrion · Korea Composite Stock Price Index · Dow Jones Industrial Average

Regulation

Nothing significant reported today.

Disruption

Nothing significant reported today.

Internal tension

Nothing significant reported today.

Safety & health

  • automotive
  • manufacturing

President Lee orders probe into battery plant abuses

a body of water with a city in the background
Tuan P. / Unsplash

President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a thorough investigation into allegations that DN Automotive, a major car battery manufacturer, disguised heavy metal-removing drugs as vitamin shots to its workers, Korea.net reports. The Ministry of Employment and Labor briefed Lee on the measures taken and future plans before he instructed a stern response. The allegations suggest DN Automotive attempted to cover up dangerous lead levels in its production line.

Impact Automotive sector employers face scrutiny as DN Automotive is investigated for worker abuse.

Sources: Korea.net ↗

Companies

  • pharma
  • manufacturing

Celltrion's Q3 operating profit exceeds W500 billion

Celltrion announced on Monday that its operating profit for the third quarter surpassed 500 billion won ($374.3 million) for the first time, driven by strong global sales, according to Korea.net. The company reported preliminary consolidated revenue of 1.5 trillion won and an operating profit of 510 billion won, marking increases of 45.8 percent and 69.2 percent year-on-year, respectively. The performance was bolstered by high-margin biosimilars and reduced costs.

Impact Pharma investors see gains as Celltrion posts record profits driven by biosimilar sales.

Sources: Korea.net ↗

Markets

  • finance
  • technology

KOSPI drops over 3% amid tech sell-off and inflation

Seoul shares plunged more than 3 percent on Monday, driven by a massive sell-off in technology stocks amid inflation concerns and elevated oil prices, The Korea Herald reports. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 241.69 points, or 3.65 percent, closing at 6,384.24. This marks the fourth consecutive session of losses for the index. The decline occurred despite gains on Wall Street, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising. The Korean won appreciated against the US dollar during the trading session.

Impact Investors in South Korean technology stocks face significant losses as the KOSPI drops over 3%.

Sources: The Korea Herald ↗, Korea.net ↗

Trade

Nothing significant reported today.

Politics

Nothing significant reported today.

Also today in South Korea

Sources in this briefing

Sources: each headline links to the original article on the publisher's site.

All South Korea briefings →

The same day elsewhere