Chaebol heads to be questioned

Nine chaebol heads, including Samsung group scion Lee Jae Yong and Hyundai chairman Chung Mong Koo, will be grilled today by lawmakers over a corruption scandal that has implicated President Park Geun Hye.

The billionaires will be questioned about tens of millions of dollars given to foundations controlled by Ms Park's friend, Choi Soon Sil, in what could be the first investigation into a sitting president.

ADB report on economic integration

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will release its latest Asian Economic Integration Report today. It looks at regional economic cooperation and integration, covering 48 regional members of the ADB and analysing their regional and global economic linkages. This year's report has two major areas of focus: progress in regional cooperation and integration, and policy drivers and economic factors that help to attract foreign direct investment in Asia and the Pacific.

Key report on US consumer spending

The Redbook, a closely watched report on consumer spending in the United States, will be released tonight. Consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of the US economy and so is traditionally seen as a strong indicator of the health of the overall economy.

The latest set of data, on November's retail scene, will likely garner even more attention than usual, because the holiday season is when retailers make most of their profits.