Deals
Mergers & Acquisitions
Kakao closes in on $800 mn deal to buy SM Entertainment stake
Kakao Entertainment Corp., a unit of South Korea's top mobile messenger app, is in the final stages of talks to buy a controlling stake in SM Entertainment Co., the country's music label widely credited as the pioneer of K-pop, in a deal estimated
Mar 11, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Corporate investment
SK units at risk of rating cuts on aggressive investments
South Korea’s SK Group units focusing on investments in new eco-friendly industries are facing risks of credit rating downgrades.Investors hav...
Mar 10, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
4 Min read -
Private equity
K Car's evolution into top Korean used car sales platform
When Seoul-based private equity firm Hahn & Co. acquired K Car Co. from SK Group in 2018, the No. 1 used car retailer in South Korea controlled ...
Mar 08, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
long read -
Private equity
SK Group's PE-funded transformation in the spotlight
SK Group stands out from other South Korean conglomerates in making good use of private equity funds to raise money for business expansion.The count...
Mar 07, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
5 Min read -
Upcoming IPOs
Korea’s Voronoi in talks with global firms on drug designs
South Korea’s biotechnology startup Voronoi Inc. is in talks with global biomedical companies on drug designs as it aims to expand the busines...
Mar 04, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
2 Min read -
Private equity
Korean SPAC Valuence Merger debuts on Nasdaq, targets bio M&As
Valuence Merger Corp. 1, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), led by South Korean fund managers, has debuted on the Nasdaq, targeting Asian...
Mar 04, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
2 Min read -
Shares in Nexon, two listed arms rise on M&A hopes
The unexpected death of Nexon founder Kim Jung-ju stoked market speculation about a possible change in its ownership structure and top management, s...
Mar 02, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
3 Min read -
War in Ukraine
Korea corp. borrowing costs to rise further on Russia risks
South Korean companies are expected to pay more for fundraising as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has chilled investor sentiment on corporate bo...
Mar 02, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
2 Min read -
Korean startups
Ridi becomes first Korean content platform unicorn
Ridi Corp., often referred to as South Korea's Kindle, has received funding of 120 billion won ($100 million) from Singapore's GIC and three domesti...
Feb 28, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
2 Min read -
M&As
Korea Investment in $4.4 bn lending group for Tropicana deal
Korea Investment & Securities Co. will arrange senior and mezzanine loans for Paris-based PAI Partners to fund its acquisition of Tropicana an...
Feb 28, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
1 Min read -
Pre-IPOs
SK Ecoplant raises over $800 mn from Korean PE firms
South Korea's SK Ecoplant Co. has raised a total of 1 trillion won ($830 million) from four domestic private equity firms, including 390 billion won...
Feb 28, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
2 Min read -
Mergers & Acquisitions
SK On narrows bidders to BlackRock, Carlyle, KKR, GIC
South Korean battery maker SK On Co. has narrowed bidders for its shares worth up to $3.3 billion to four candidates -- BlackRock, The Carlyle Group...
Feb 24, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
3 Min read -
Pharmaceuticals
Samsung Bioepis to double biosimilars, may resume Nasdaq listing plans
Samsung Bioepis Co., a biopharmaceutical unit of Samsung Group, plans to double the number of its biosimilar products on sale to 10 by 2025 and acce...
Feb 24, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
3 Min read -
IPOs
Korean battery sector to heat up IPO market again
South Korea’s battery industry is expected to heat up the initial public offering market later this year as battery materials and equipment ma...
Feb 23, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
3 Min read -
Mergers & Acquisitions
Korea approves Korean Air-Asiana merger; hurdles remain
The proposed merger of Korean Air Lines Co. and Asiana Airlines Inc. has moved one step closer to completion with approval by South Korea’s an...
Feb 22, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
3 Min readlanguage -
Mergers & Acquisitions
SK Ecoplant buys e-waste recycling firm for $1 bn
South Korea's SK Ecoplant Co. has acquired Singapore-based electronic waste (e-waste) disposal and recycling company TES Envirocorp Pte. Ltd for $1 ...
Feb 21, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
2 Min readlanguage -
M&As
LS-Nikko Copper to sell $670 million JV stake to Korean PEFs
LS-Nikko Copper Co., the world’s second-largest electrolytic copper maker, is set to sell an 800 billion won ($670 million) stake in a joint v...
Feb 20, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
3 Min read -
Korean startups
Korean drone manufacturer aims for 2023 Kosdaq IPO
South Korea's commercial drone manufacturer Nearthlab plans to apply for an initial public offering this year to get listed on the junior Kosdaq mar...
Feb 17, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
1 Min read -
Food & Beverage
Shinsegae acquires Napa Valley winery Shafer Vineyards for $250 million
South Korea’s retail giant Shinsegae Inc. has acquired US winery Shafer Vineyards for $250 million to consolidate its leadership in the domest...
Feb 16, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
1 Min read -
Batteries
SK On's $4 bn funding draws PE giants, GIC, Saudi PIF
BlackRock, Blackstone, Singapore's GIC and Saudi's Public Investment Fund (PIF) are among the preliminary bidders for shares worth up to $4.2 billio...
Feb 16, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
3 Min read -
Central bank
BOK’s mission impossible: To lower both inflation and govt bond yields
South Korea’s central bank is caught in a dilemma as it needs to raise interest rates to curb rising inflationary pressure in Asia’s fou...
Feb 15, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
3 Min read -
Korean startups
KT to join MBK, IMM in Megazone Cloud's $400 mn funding
KT Corp., South Korea's No. 2 telecom operator, has decided to invest 130 billion won ($110 million) in Megazone Cloud Corp., the country's largest ...
Feb 15, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
2 Min readlanguage -
Mergers & Acquisitions
PI Advanced up for sale in deal estimated at $1 bn
Seoul-based Glenwood Private Equity is putting a majority stake in South Korea's PI Advanced Materials Co., the world's largest polyimide (PI) film ...
Feb 15, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
1 Min read -
Earnings
HMM returns to annual profit in a decade as stake sale looms
HMM Co., South Korea’s largest container line, returned to an annual profit for the first time in a decade, boosted by higher freight rates an...
Feb 14, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
3 Min read -
Korean startups
MBK, IMM to invest over $300 mn in Megazone Cloud
MBK Partners and IMM Private Equity will each be investing 200 billion won ($167 million) in Megazone Cloud Corp., the first South Korean business p...
Feb 13, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
2 Min read -
Mergers & Acquisitions
GS ups spending to take control of botox maker Hugel
South Korea’s energy-to-retail conglomerate GS Group has increased its spending to become the largest shareholder in Hugel Inc., the country's...
Feb 13, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
1 Min read -
The Deep Dive
How Carlyle aligned interests with Hyundai Motor chair
South Korea's strengthened antitrust rules relating to inter-affiliate trade provided the Carlyle Group with a valuable opportunity to invest in Hyu...
Feb 13, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
long read -
Private equity
Seoul court upholds Affinity's Kyobo Life valuation
A South Korean court on Thursday ruled in favor of Affinity Equity-led financial investors (FIs) in Kyobo Life Insurance Co., rejecting Kyobo's clai...
Feb 10, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
2 Min read -
Korean games
Saudi sovereign wealth fund buys $700 mn stake in NCSoft
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has increased its stake in South Korea's leading gaming company NCSoft Corp. to become its fourth-...
Feb 10, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
2 Min read -
Mergers & Acquisitions
Singapore approves Korean Air-Asiana combination
Singapore’s antitrust authority approved the integration of Korean Air Lines Co. and Asiana Airlines Inc., paving the way for South Korea&rsqu...
Feb 09, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
1 Min read
Hidden Champions
-
DCM
Published: Dec 09, 2022
Last updated: Jan 30, 2023
-
3G Technologies
Published: Sep 25, 2020
Last updated: Jul 06, 2021
-
T-Robotics
Published: Mar 25, 2021
Last updated: Jan 30, 2023
-
Jong Ie Nara
Published: May 26, 2021
Last updated: Apr 15, 2022
-
Buhmwoo Group
Published: Apr 21, 2021
Last updated: Jan 30, 2023
Future Unicorns
-
Fridays Lab
Published: Jun 30, 2023
Last updated: Nov 10, 2023
-
AIOBIO
Published: Oct 07, 2020
Last updated: Jun 08, 2021
-
L-Base
Published: Oct 21, 2022
Last updated: Nov 16, 2022
-
RIDI
Published: Sep 28, 2021
Last updated: Mar 29, 2022
-
Sandbox Network
Published: Mar 22, 2021
Last updated: Jul 23, 2021
Latest News