Lee Chul-joo Affinity

Asset management Mirae Asset bets on China as Korean investors’ US focus draws concern

South Korea’s leading asset manager Mirae Asset Financial Group is increasingly unveiling China-focused investment products as Chairman P...

Business & Politics Samsung's Lee meets with Xi amid Beijing’s balancing act vs Washington

Samsung Electronics Co. Chairman Lee Jae-yong, along with other global tech leaders, met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday as C...

Leadership & Management Naver to build sovereign AI, says founder Lee after return

South Korea’s No. 1 internet portal operator Naver Corp. will build strong sovereign artificial intelligence to fight the growing dominance of...

Leadership & Management Samsung Chairman Lee meets with Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun for partnership

BEIJING – Samsung Electronics Co. Chairman Lee Jae-yong has met with Xiaomi Inc. Chief Executive Lei Jun in the Chinese capital, raising specu...

Leadership & Management Samsung in 'do or die' situation'; Lee sounds crisis alarm

Samsung Electronics Co. Chairman Lee Jae-yong has warned the company's executives that the South Korean tech giant has lost its characteristic "rele...

Private equity Affinity, GIC sell out of Kyobo Life; Chairman Shin seeks holding firm, M&A

Affinity Equity Partners and Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC have sold their entire stake in Kyobo Life Insurance Co., exiting from thei...

Mergers & Acquisitions Affinity Equity set to close $1.1 bn purchase of Lotte Rental

Affinity Equity Partners said on Friday that it will sign a definitive agreement on March 11 with Lotte Group to acquire a 56.2% stake in South Kore...

Private equity Kyobo Life’s Shin in talks with Affinity, GIC over exits below purchase price

Kyobo Life Insurance Co., South Korea’s third-largest life insurer, is in talks with some of its financial investors (FIs) to help them exit f...

Regulations S.Korea needs to allow short-selling for all listed stocks: FSS chief

Lee Bok-hyun, governor of South Korea’s top financial watchdog body, the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), said on Thursday that there shou...

Business & Politics Woori Financial CEO Yim Jong-yong should stay for governance: FSS chief

Woori Financial Group Chief Executive and Chairman Yim Jong-yong should keep his post through to the end of his term and lead the banking group&rsqu...

Private equity Glenwood Credit stresses role as reliable financial partner: CEO Lee

Many companies, big and small, sell or buy affiliated units to raise funds or narrow their focus during economic downturns, and to fund expansion or...

Earnings Naver founder to return as board chair; 2024 earnings solid

Lee Hae-jin, the founder of South Korea’s No. 1 internet portal operator Naver Corp., is set to return to the company to lead the board amid t...

Leadership & Management Samsung set to rebuild with leader Lee cleared of all charges

Samsung Electronics Co. Chairman Lee Jae-yong was found not guilty of accounting fraud, stock manipulation and other criminal charges by a Seoul app...

League table Korean law firms' 2024 revenue soars on M&As, management disputes

South Korea’s major law firms saw rapid growth in revenue last year as the economic slowdown sparked business overhauls at top conglomerates, ...

Investment banking MBK’s ByungJu Kim, UBS’ Kyungin Lee: Most influential in capital market

Michael ByungJu Kim, co-founder, partner and chairman of Northeast Asia-focused private equity firm MBK Partners Ltd., and Kyungin David Lee, UBS Gl...

Korean food Daesang launches kimchi brand with three-Michelin-star chef

South Korean leading food maker Daesang Corp., the operator of kimchi brand Jongga, said on Thursday it launched San Ho Won with three-Michelin-star...

Social media Seoul probes fake online accounts of Hyundai Motor advisor Sung Kim

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has launched an investigation into social media accounts pretending to be Hyundai Motor Group advisor Sung Kim,...

Private equity Affinity to transform top Korean car rental firms into mobility service providers

Affinity Equity Partners aims to develop leading South Korean car rental companies into mobility service providers to create additional profitabilit...

Artificial intelligence Samsung SDS to build AI-focused data center at Samsung Electronics’ plant

Samsung SDS Co., the information technology service unit of South Korea’s Samsung Group, plans to build an artificial intelligence data center...

Private equity Hong Kong-based PEF Affinity Equity to acquire control of Lotte Rental

Affinity Equity Partners, a Hong Kong-based investment firm, will acquire a controlling stake in South Korea’s No. 1 car rental and leasing co...

Asset management BlackRock names Lee Yoon Pyo as head of S.Korea business

BlackRock, the world's best-known asset manager, has appointed Lee Yoon Pyo as managing director and head of its South Korea operations, effective f...

Corporate strategy Hyundai Mobis aims to expand non-captive sales to 40% as it goes global

South Korea’s top auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis Co. on Tuesday said it aims to boost non-Hyundai Motor Group affiliate sales to 40% of its to...

Private equity US private equity giant Apollo opens Seoul office for APAC expansion

Apollo Global Management Inc., a US private equity powerhouse, said on Monday it has opened an office in Seoul to expand its business in the Asia Pa...

Corporate restructuring Shinsegae affiliate SSG.COM secures Olympus as new financial investor

Korean retail giant Shinsegae Group’s online shopping mall operator SSG.COM has secured Olympus, a special purpose company created by Korean b...

Electronics LG Electronics, Tenstorrent in strategic tie-up for AI chip advancement

South Korea’s home appliances giant LG Electronics Inc. and Toronto-based fabless AI chip designer Tenstorrent Inc. have agreed to expand thei...

Business & Politics S.Korea set to scrap financial investment income tax

South Korea is set to scrap a plan to impose a tax on gains from financial investments – a scheme slated to be introduced early next year &nda...

Fashion Management dispute brewing at leggings brand Xexymix operator Brand X?

A leadership change in Brand X Corp., the operator of South Korea’s top leggings brand Xexymix, is spawning speculation that a management cont...

Electronics Samsung's Lee inspects MLCC plant in Philippines as it eyes turnaround

Samsung Group Chairman Jay Y. Lee on Sunday inspected Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co.’s production facilities for multilayer ceramic capacitors ...

Logistics CJ Logistics joins hands with Affinity for third-party logistics

CJ Logistics announced on Wednesday that it has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Affinity Equity Partners.Affinity is a glo...

Shipping & Shipbuilding HD Hyundai establishes foundation for shipyard accident victims

South Korea's HD Hyundai Co. established the HD Hyundai Hope Foundation (tentative name) to support the families of victims of major industrial acci...