US middle market

Beauty & Cosmetics Goodai Global poised to build L'Oréal-style empire via M&As

Goodai Global Inc. is seeking to acquire South Korea’s first-generation independent cosmetics brand Skinfood for about 150 billion won ($108 m...

Aerospace & Defense Hanwha Aerospace to build defense plant in Germany as European base

Hanwha Aerospace Co. plans to build a precision missile manufacturing plant in Germany as part of its global strategy to expand its presence across ...

Shipping & Shipbuilding HD Hyundai Group joins S.Korea’s 100 trillion won market cap club

South Korean shipbuilding conglomerate HD Hyundai Group has joined South Korea’s elite club of conglomerates with a market capitalization exce...

ASK 2025 Rental housing gains appeal amid supply crunch: asset managers

The rental housing markets in the US, Europe and Australia present attractive investment opportunities as persistent supply shortages and rising urb...

Batteries LG Energy, Samsung SDI to build 1st US LFP battery plants with GM

In a pivotal shift for the North American electric vehicle battery landscape, South Korea’s two leading battery makers – LG Energy Solut...

Artificial intelligence OpenAI sets up entity in Korea with most paid ChatGPT users outside US

OpenAI Inc., the creator of generative AI ChatGPT, has established a legal entity in South Korea, which has the largest number of paying ChatGPT sub...

ASK 2025 NPS, KIC step up focus on mid-market infrastructure

The National Pension Service (NPS) and Korea Investment Corp. (KIC) are actively exploring mid-market infrastructure opportunities as they are expec...

North Korea US considers withdrawing thousands of troops from South Korea

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Korean Investors Carlyle CEO shares investment tips with Korean retail investors

The head of The Carlyle Group met with Korean retail investors in a rare session on Thursday, sharing insights on the US economy and global credit m...

Tech, Media & Telecom Google partners with Samsung, Gentle Monster for new smart glasses

SILICON VALLEY – Google LLC is making a renewed push into the smart glasses market in partnership with South Korea’s Samsung Electronics...

ASK 2025 KIC bets on Asian real estate; eyes residential, data centers

The Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) is zeroing in on Asia’s real estate market by region, while targeting residential facilities and data c...

Investment banking Bill Clinton in Seoul to meet with MBK's ByungJu Kim, business leaders

Michael ByungJu Kim, co-founder, partner and chairman of Seoul-based private equity firm MBK Partners Ltd., is set to meet with former US President ...

Aerospace & Defense Samsung gears up for foray into space infrastructure industry

Samsung Group is stepping up efforts to venture into the space infrastructure industry, a sector analysts say remains a blue ocean where South Korea...

Cryptocurrencies S.Korea's crypto market doubles to $77.5 bn with 20% of population trading

South Korea’s cryptocurrency market surged to nearly 108 trillion won ($77.5 billion) in the second half of last year, fueled by growing retai...

Infrastructure KIC discusses post-US tariff infrastructure strategy with pension funds

The Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) on Tuesday discussed infrastructure investment opportunities and risks in the wake of the US government&rsquo...

Electronics LG Electronics poised to extend OLED TV market lead into 2025  

LG Electronics Inc. is on track to retain its lead in the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TV market for the 13th consecutive year, bolstered by ...

Bio & Pharma S.Korea’s Lunit installs breast cancer AI diagnostic tool at 200 US hospitals

Lunit Inc., a South Korean AI-powered cancer diagnostics company, said on Monday that more than 200 healthcare institutions across the US have now a...

Banking & Finance Shinhan Securities acquires stake in Vietnam’s top trading platform FireAnt

Shinhan Securities Co., a leading South Korean brokerage house, has acquired a strategic equity stake in FireAnt, Vietnam’s largest retail tra...

Shipping & Shipbuilding Hanwha Philly Shipyard to localize LNG builds, expand capacity

Hanwha Group will significantly increase production capacity at its US shipyard from 1.5 vessels to 10 per year as it aims to transform the facility...

Mergers & Acquisitions LS moves closer to role as Hanjin KAL’s white knight vs Hoban

Hanjin KAL Corp., the largest shareholder of Korean Air Lines Co., is strengthening its alliance with LS Group, the parent of LS Cable & System ...

Business & Politics Shinsegae Chair Chung joins Trump’s Middle East tour

Chung Yong-jin, chairman of South Korea’s retail group Shinsegae Inc., is the only Korean businessperson accompanying US President Donald Trum...

Aerospace & Defense Hanwha's 'Sea Ghost' makes waves as Greece eyes unmanned naval tech

GEOJE, South Korea – Under a slate-grey sky at the quiet port of Jangmok on South Korea’s southern coast, a sleek, 12-meter vessel slipp...

Beauty & Cosmetics With Ulta deal, APR steps up US beauty push

Medicube, the beauty-tech brand under South Korea’s fast-growing beauty company APR Co., will sell its products through both online and offlin...

Tech, Media & Telecom LG, Samsung vie for crown in wheeled TV market

The market for TVs mounted on a rollable stand has emerged as a new battleground between South Korea’s top two TV brands, LG and Samsung, four...

Korean chipmakers South Korea asks US for tailored approach to chip tariffs

South Korea has officially requested that the US take a distinct approach in its ongoing probe into foreign semiconductor technology and related dow...

Mergers & Acquisitions Harman acquires Masimo’s audio arm in Samsung’s car audio push

Harman International Industries Inc., wholly owned by Samsung Electronics Co., has acquired Masimo Corp.’s audio business for $350 million, a ...

Automobiles US auto parts tariffs take effect; Korea avoids heavy hit

The US has eased tariffs on automotive parts that took effect on May 3, offering a sigh of relief to South Korean suppliers, who said a worst-case s...

Korean games NCSOFT invests in US game startup emptyvessel

NCSOFT Corp. has made an equity investment in emptyvessel, a US indie games studio, as part of efforts to expand into the first-person shooter genre...

Automobiles BMW surpasses Mercedes in Korean sales for 1st time in 10 years

The top five imported car brands in South Korea underwent a major shake-up last year. BMW overtook Mercedes-Benz in sales for the first time in a de...

Mergers & Acquisitions CJ CheilJedang scraps $3.5 bn green bio sale, shifts gears to expansion

CJ CheilJedang Corp., South Korea’s largest food and beverage company, said on Wednesday it has scrapped a planned sale of its green bio busin...