Deals
ESG bonds
S.Korean green bonds draw strong demand amid ESG fever
South Korean green bonds eligible for government support enjoyed robust demand despite lower yields, as investors upgraded environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards for their investments.A green bond typically refers to a type of fixe
May 08, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
LG Chem in talks with Glenwood to sell off diagnostics unit
LG Chem Ltd. is slated for exclusive talks with Seoul-based Glenwood Private Equity to sell off its in vitro diagnostics business, according to biop...
May 03, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Shareholder activism
Korean activist fund mired in controversy over SM stock deals
A South Korean private equity firm leading shareholder activism against SM Entertainment Co. is mired in controversy as it has surfaced that it sold...
May 02, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Private equity
KKR to buy Namsan Green Building in Seoul for $186.7 million
KKR & Co. Inc. has agreed to buy Namsan Green Building in a central office district in Seoul for an estimated 250 billion won ($186.7 million).T...
Apr 28, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Bio & Pharma
SK Bioscience to invest $1.8 billion, seeks M&As for inorganic growth
SK Bioscience Co., the drug-making unit of South Korea’s SK Group, plans to spend 2.4 trillion won ($1.8 billion) over the next five years and...
Apr 28, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
PwC’s S.Korean member to focus on SE Asia acquisition deals
Samil PricewaterhouseCoopers, the South Korean member firm of global accounting industry leader PwC, aims to focus on overseas acquisition deals of ...
Apr 28, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Korea's Kakao Pay to buy 51% of US financial firm Siebert
Kakao Pay Corp., the mobile payment and digital wallet service unit of South Korean tech giant Kakao Corp., announced on Thursday it has signed an a...
Apr 27, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Korea clears way for Hanwha's $1.45 bn takeover of DSME
South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) on Thursday gave its nod for Hanwha Group’s 2-trillion-won ($1.45 billion) takeover of Daewoo ...
Apr 27, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Glenwood files $40 mn arbitration claim against Baring PEA
Glenwood Private Equity has filed an arbitration claim of about 50 billion won ($40 million) against Baring Private Equity Asia (Baring PEA), after ...
Apr 21, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Batteries
SK On to attract $1.1 bn from BlackRock, MBK consortium
SK On Co., the world’s fifth-largest battery maker, is slated to attract 1.5 trillion won ($1.1 billion) from a consortium of US private equit...
Apr 20, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
MBK Partners to buy Belgian chocolate brand Pierre Marcolini
Private equity firm MBK Partners is set to acquire Pierre Marcolini, a Belgian chocolate brand called "Hermes of Chocolate."MBK bought the South Kor...
Apr 19, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Regulations
Korea to adopt cornerstone investor system to vitalize IPOs
South Korea is set to introduce a system of cornerstone investors who agree in advance to subscribe to a forthcoming listing with conditions of lock...
Apr 18, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Pre-IPOs
GS Group's petrochem equipment unit eyes up to $154 mn via pre-IPO
GS Entec Corp., a South Korean equipment maker for petrochemical and power plants, is set to raise 150 billion to 200 billion won ($115 million-$154...
Apr 14, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Batteries
S.Korea’s EcoPro BM seeks to raise $385 mn through convertible bond sale
South Korea’s leading battery materials maker EcoPro BM Co. sought to raise up to 500 billion won ($385 million) through a convertible bond fo...
Apr 14, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean stock market
LG shares soar as UK asset manager Silchester raises stake
LG Corp., the holding firm of South Korea’s fourth-largest conglomerate LG Group, saw its share price soar in the local market on Wednesday as...
Apr 12, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Macquarie to buy Lotte’s S.Korean transportation card unit
Macquarie Asset Management, part of Australian investment bank Macquarie Group, is set to buy Loca Mobility Corp., Lotte Card Co.’s subsidiary...
Apr 05, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Bio & Pharma
Management dispute over S.Korea’s CTC Bio heats up
A management dispute over a South Korean pharmaceutical maker CTC Bio Inc. specializing in animal drugs is intensifying as another medical company h...
Apr 04, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean chipmakers
SK Hynix to raise $1.5 bn in exchangeable bonds
SK Hynix Inc., the world’s second-largest memory chipmaker, said on Monday it would raise $1.5 billion through exchangeable bonds (EBs) in a p...
Apr 03, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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E-commerce
Kurly seeks fresh funding at half its peak valuation
Kurly Inc., South Korea’s leading food delivery platform, has embarked on a new funding round to raise 100 billion won ($76 million) at about ...
Apr 03, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Energy storage devices firm LS Materials launches IPO process
South Korea’s energy storage devices maker LS Materials Co. began the process for an initial public offering later this year as it aims to dev...
Apr 03, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
S.Korean carbon trading company EcoEye seeks listing
South Korean carbon credit trading company EcoEye Co. is preparing for an initial public offering, poised to be the first listing of a firm in the s...
Mar 29, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Luxury watchmaker Hublot buys Korean ceramic supplier Ecco
Hublot, a Swiss watchmaker under global luxury giant LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, has taken over South Korean ceramic manufacturer Ecco Wa...
Mar 27, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Kakao's tender offer for SM Ent. twice oversubscribed
South Korea’s Kakao Corp. has secured 40% of SM Entertainment Co. as planned, wrapping up its 1.25-trillion-won ($960 million) takeover bid fo...
Mar 27, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
HYBE accepts Kakao’s tender offer to exit SM Entertainment
HYBE Co., the largest shareholder of SM Entertainment Co., said on Friday it has accepted Kakao Corp.’s tender offer to sell its shares in the...
Mar 24, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Hanwha gets nod on DSME deal from most countries, but not Korea
South Korea’s leading defense maker Hanwha Group has obtained approval for its acquisition of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co....
Mar 23, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Dongwon backs out of Boryung Biopharma buyout deal
Dongwon Industries Co., South Korea’s No. 1 canned tuna producer, has backed out of a deal estimated between $400 million and $500 million to ...
Mar 23, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Private equity
MBK-UCK consortium offers 2nd tender to delist Osstem Implant
The MBK Partners-Unison Capital Korea (UCK) consortium said on Wednesday it will conduct a second tender offer for shares in Osstem Implant Co., a f...
Mar 22, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Future mobility
Kakao Mobility buys UK ride-hailing startup Splyt for global biz
South Korea’s Kakao Mobility Corp. said on Wednesday it has acquired the British ride-hailing startup Splyt, marking the first overseas takeov...
Mar 22, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Celltrion eyes Baxter's arm as it gears up for M&As
Celltrion Inc., South Korea’s largest biosimilar maker, said on Tuesday it has studied a possible acquisition of the biopharma solutions unit ...
Mar 21, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
MBK to acquire Korea’s top FCCL maker NexFlex for $407 mn
MBK Partners agreed to buy NexFlex Co., South Korea’s top flexible copper-clad laminates (FCCL) producer, as the leading Northeast Asian priva...
Mar 17, 2023 (Gmt+09:00)
1 Min read
Hidden Champions
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Point Mobile
Published: Sep 14, 2021
Last updated: May 10, 2022
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Koh Young Technology Inc
Published: Sep 21, 2020
Last updated: Jan 20, 2023
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Buhmwoo Group
Published: Apr 21, 2021
Last updated: Jan 30, 2023
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3G Technologies
Published: Sep 25, 2020
Last updated: Jul 06, 2021
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Jong Ie Nara
Published: May 26, 2021
Last updated: Apr 15, 2022
Future Unicorns
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Sandbox Network
Published: Mar 22, 2021
Last updated: Jul 23, 2021
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RIDI
Published: Sep 28, 2021
Last updated: Mar 29, 2022
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Fridays Lab
Published: Jun 30, 2023
Last updated: Nov 10, 2023
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AIOBIO
Published: Oct 07, 2020
Last updated: Jun 08, 2021
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L-Base
Published: Oct 21, 2022
Last updated: Nov 16, 2022
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