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Friday, October 23, 2026English edition
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The Geopolitician

Country risk, from the local press

South Korea · Country watch

Seoul Boosts Halloween Safety, Hana Financial Profits Rise

Seoul police enhance safety for Halloween; Hana Financial reports record profits, impacting finance and tourism sectors.

· · 4 sources

The picture Improving How this is judged →

Business conditions in South Korea are improving with enhanced safety measures in Seoul boosting tourism confidence, and Hana Financial's record profits indicating strong financial sector performance.

Flare-up watch: Watch what this means → — All South Korea briefings →

In this briefing Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency · Itaewon · Hana Financial Group · Namdaemun Market

Regulation

Nothing significant reported today.

Disruption

Nothing significant reported today.

Internal tension

Nothing significant reported today.

Safety & health

  • Tourism
  • Public sector

Seoul police deploy 4,594 officers for Halloween safety

서울지방경찰청
서울지방경찰청 hyolee2, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Seoul police announced the deployment of 4,594 officers to ensure crowd safety during Halloween festivities, particularly in areas like Itaewon, where a crowd crush occurred in 2022. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency will enforce a special safety management period from Friday to November 1, enhancing security in five major nightlife districts. The measures include the mobilization of riot police units, regional patrol teams, and special task force members, according to Korea.net.

Impact Tourism operators in Seoul will see increased safety measures, potentially boosting visitor confidence during Halloween.

Sources: The Korea Herald ↗, Korea.net ↗

Companies

  • Finance

Hana Financial posts record 9-month profit of W3.62tr

Hana Financial Group reported a record net profit of 3.62 trillion won ($2.73 billion) for the first nine months of 2026. The group also announced share buybacks and cancellations nearing 1 trillion won, marking its largest-ever shareholder return. For the third quarter, Hana Financial's net profit reached 1.22 trillion won, up 7.86 percent from a year earlier, driven by increases in interest and non-interest income, according to The Korea Herald.

Impact Shareholders of Hana Financial benefit from record profits and significant share buybacks.

Sources: The Korea Herald ↗, Korea.net ↗

Markets

Nothing significant reported today.

Trade

  • Retail
  • Tourism

Pharmacies become K-beauty hotspots for tourists

Pharmacies in Seoul's Namdaemun Market are becoming popular destinations for foreign tourists seeking K-beauty products. Tourists are purchasing items like Bacchus energy drinks and PDRN skincare products, as well as acne treatments and scar gels. This trend highlights the growing interest in Korean beauty products among international visitors, according to Korea.net.

Impact Retailers in Seoul's pharmacies see increased sales from foreign tourists buying K-beauty products.

Sources: Korea.net ↗

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