South Korea's new stimulus package

South Korea will today unveil its stimulus package for the first quarter, with plans to help companies increase investments and hire more workers, according to Finance Minister Yoo Il Ho.

The minister said the package will also include measures to stimulate private spending ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays.

All eyes on COE bidding

The first open-bidding exercise for certificates of entitlement (COEs) for this month will end at 4pm today. All eyes are on this exercise as car buyers are expecting COE prices to slide further from this month, when an expanded quota kicks in. Foar the period of February to April, there will be 7,366 certificates - or 21.1 per cent more - available for cars, according to an earlier announcement by the Land Transport Authority.

BOJ to release crucial minutes

Bank of Japan (BOJ) will today release minutes of its meeting last month when it had decided to adopt a negative interest rate policy. Governor Haruhiko Kuroda's strategy to penalise a portion of banks' reserves held at the central bank will complement the record asset-purchase programme that has expanded the BOJ's balance sheet, analysts say.