How the sliding yen has hit Korean investors

ASIA

HyungJin Lee, manager of the Baring Korea trust, tells Annabelle Williams how the Korean market has fared as investors fear competitiveness has been eroded.

Most discussions of Asian investing have been dominated in recent months by Japan’s resurgence. A spectacular rally has been underway in Japanese markets, and despite a recent slump, the Nikkei has still risen 45.87% over the year to 26 June, supported by the Bank of Japan which has committed to pumping billions into the economy. As exciting as these developments may be for investors in Japan, those looking to tap into markets elsewhere in Asia have had to contend with the consequences of the country’s revival. Chief among these is the weakening of the yen, which fell to a low of ¥...