Deals

Webtoons
Concurrent deal closings by Kakao, Naver: Mere coincidence?
Early this month, when Anchor Equity Partners was in intense negotiations with Kakao Corp. over the terms of its 600 billion won ($530 million) investment in the South Korean mobile giant's Japan unit, the private equity firm was suddenly given sho
May 24, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Stake sales
Halla to join bid for Hanon Systems stake; seen biggest deal in Korea
South Korea’s Halla Group is joining the race for the purchase of auto parts supplier Hanon Systems Corp. -- a deal, if reached at the top end...
May 21, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
World's 1st e-sports channel OGN up for sale; valued at $8.9 million
OGN, a South Korean cable TV channel specialized in broadcasting video game-related content and e-sports matches, is up for sale.According to invest...
May 21, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Fintech platform Toss seeks $180 mn in fresh funding
South Korean fintech startup Toss is seeking to raise 200 billion won ($177 million) in fresh funding, which would almost treble its valuation to 8 ...
May 21, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Banking & Finance
Internet-only K Bank to raise $1.05 bn in rights offering
South Korea’s first internet-only bank, K Bank, will be raising 1.2 trillion won ($1.05 billion) from existing and new investors for business ...
May 21, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Webtoons
Kakao Japan secures over $500 mn from Anchor Equity; valuation tops $7 bn
Kakao Corp.’s Japanese unit is set to secure 600 billion won ($530 million) from South Korea-based private equity firm Anchor Equity Partners....
May 20, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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E-commerce
Naver, Shinsegae in talks to team up for eBay Korea
Naver Corp., South Korea's top online portal, is in talks with the country's retail giant Shinsegae Group about a joint bid for eBay Korea -- a deal...
May 19, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Korea's COVID-19 test kit maker applies for $1.2 bn IPO
SD Biosensor Inc., South Korea's largest manufacturer of COVID-19 test kits, has applied for an initial public offering to raise up to 1.3 trillion ...
May 19, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Deals
SK Hynix push for takeover of Key Foundry to boost foundry production
SK Hynix Inc. is taking the first steps to take over South Korea-based Key Foundry, a move in line with recent remarks from Park Jung-ho, the SK Hyn...
May 17, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Private equity
Baring PEA revives IPO plan for delivery firm Logen
Baring Private Equity Asia is joining a group of private equity firms that have just resumed the stalled process for initial public offerings of the...
May 17, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Deals
Biggest deal in Korea: Hanon Systems stake sale draws KKR, Carlyle, TPG
The sale process of a near-70% stake in South Korean auto parts supplier Hanon Systems Corp. has kicked off, attracting a pool of strategic investor...
May 16, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Asset management
Woori Financial takes over Franklin Templeton’s retail fund business
Woori Financial Group has been selected to acquire Franklin Templeton Investments’ retail fund business in South Korea, less than a month sinc...
May 14, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Corporate bonds
Goldman Sachs to issue its first Arirang bond in three years
Goldman Sachs will issue its first Arirang bond since 2018, an action interpreted by financial circles as a sign of the investment bank’s rega...
May 12, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Korean PEF clinches $1.7 bn TaylorMade Golf acquisition
South Korea's lesser-known private equity firm Centroid Investment Partners has acquired US sports equipment manufacturing firm TaylorMade Golf Co. ...
May 11, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Naver vs Kakao: Intense rivalry to extend beyond Asia
South Korea's two online giants Naver Corp. and Kakao Corp. have completed their respective acquisitions of storytelling platforms in the US and Can...
May 11, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Jeju Beer aims to be S.Korea's 4th-biggest brewer by 2022
South Korea’s leading craft beer maker Jeju Beer Co. aims to be among the country's top four breweries by the end of 2022, planning to use its...
May 11, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Delivery app Yogiyo bidders narrowed to Shinsegae, PEFs
Germany's Delivery Hero SE has narrowed down the list of bidders for South Korea’s second-largest food delivery platform Yogiyo to Shinsegae I...
May 11, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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PEF divestments
PEFs knocking on door of Korean IPO market for profitable divestment
South Korean and overseas private equity firms are knocking on the door of the initial public offering market for profitable divestments, riding the...
May 10, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Batteries
Korea’s major firms look for M&A targets in battery materials business
South Korea’s major companies are looking for merger and acquisition opportunities in the rechargeable battery materials sector, which is grow...
May 06, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
IB-turned-podcaster in quest of hidden startup gems
A seasoned investment banker of Korean origin, David Kim, has turned his eyes to rising startups that have yet to receive attention and began to int...
May 06, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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E-commerce
Delivery app Yogiyo draws bids from retailers, PEFs
South Korea’s second-largest food delivery app Yogiyo has drawn about 10 preliminary bidders, including retailer Shinsegae and private equity ...
May 05, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
HK inno.N plans 2021 IPO with $1.8 bn valuation
HK inno.N Corp. (inno.N), previously known as CJ Healthcare Co. and now a subsidiary of Kolmar Korea, has initiated the IPO process for listing with...
May 04, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Anchor Equity eyes IPO of coffee chain A Twosome Place
A Twosome Place is poised to be South Korea's first listed coffee chain as its owner Anchor Equity Partners has kicked off the process of its initia...
May 03, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Riding cargo boom, H-Line Shipping resumes IPO process
H-Line Shipping Co., South Korea's second-largest bulk transportation company, has resumed its initial public offering process after three years, as...
May 03, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
SK Innovation set to flex muscle with $4 bn in new cash
SK Innovation Co., South Korea's leading electric vehicle battery maker, is on course to raise more than 5 trillion won ($4.5 billion) this year fro...
May 02, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Upcoming IPOs
Korea bourse tries to halt unicorns following Coupang in US IPO
The Korea Exchange (KRX) will lower the bar for domestic startups' initial public offerings at home so that they will be dissuaded from joining the ...
Apr 29, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
SK IE Tech IPO draws record-high demand; brokerage servers down briefly
SK IE Technology Co. (SKIET), the battery materials subsidiary of SK Innovation Co., has set a new record for initial public offering demand, briefl...
Apr 29, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Food & Beverage
BTS-loved kombucha brand Teazen up for sale
The majority shareholder of South Korea’s fine tea brand Teazen Co. is seeking to sell ownership of the company, attracting multiple potential...
Apr 29, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Corporate bonds
Hyundai Motor's Indonesia unit issues $300 mn bond
PT Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Indonesia (HMMI) has raised $300 million in a five-year bond sale to fund the construction of its first production li...
Apr 28, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Kakao Pay values itself at above-consensus $14 bn
Kakao Pay Corp., aiming to list on South Korea's main stock exchange this year, has valued itself at as much as 16 trillion won ($14.4 billion), or ...
Apr 27, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
2 Min readlanguage
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