qualitative due diligence

Korean food CJ CheilJedang to open $72 million dumpling plant in Japan

South Korea’s largest food company, CJ CheilJedang Corp., is shifting into high gear in its global expansion with a 100 billion won ($72 milli...

Pension funds NPS yet to schedule external manager selection; PE firms’ fundraising woes deepen

South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS), the world’s third-largest pension fund, has yet to decide on a plan to select local extern...

Leadership & Management Kakao founder Kim to resign as control tower chair

Kakao Corp. founder Kim Beom-soo, also known as Brian Kim, will step down as chairman of the South Korean tech giant’s top decision-making bod...

Business & Politics Trump says Korea interested in Alaska gas project; Korean firms skeptical

South Korea, Japan and other countries want to partner with the US in a $44 billion natural gas pipeline project in Alaska, President Donald Trump s...

Shipping & Shipbuilding HMM seeks to acquire parts of SK Shipping for $1.4 bn from Hahn & Co.

HMM Co., South Korea’s largest ocean carrier, is seeking to buy SK Shipping Co., excluding its liquefied natural gas (LNG) transportation busi...

Commodities FOMO-driven gold rush lifts kimchi premium on gold to highest level

With South Korean retail investors joining the global gold rush in ‘fear of missing out’, or FOMO, the country’s gold price has ...

Debt financing Korean bonds heavily oversubscribed in January boom

South Korea’s debt market got off to a strong start this year, as several blue chip companies made a bold return to the bond market for new is...

Korean stock market Foreign investors sells $3.86 bn in S.Korean stock market

The Bank of Korea (BOK) said on Wednesday that the foreign investors' net selling in the South Korean stock market was $3.86 billion in December las...

Earnings LG Energy logs 1st quarterly loss in over 3 years, outlook remains gloomy

LG Energy Solution Ltd. reported its first quarterly loss in more than three years on Thursday, adding to concerns that the world’s third-larg...

Mergers & Acquisitions Hahn & Co. to buy controlling stake in SK’s specialty gas unit for $1.9 bn

South Korea’s private equity firm Hahn & Co. is set to acquire a controlling stake in the world’s top specialty gas producer SK Spec...

IPOs Sono International seeks IPO in 2025 with $2.1 billion in corporate value

South Korea’s top resort operator Sono International Co. is seeking an initial public offering of its shares on the Korean market next year, r...

Economy S.Korea's foreign reserves amount to $415.4 bn in Nov

South Korea's official foreign reserves at the end of November amounted to $415.4 billion.According to the Bank Of Korea (BOK) on Wednesday, the nat...

Foreign exchange NPS incurs $500 million in missed gains due to improper forex hedging

The National Pension Service (NPS), South Korea’s state-run pension fund and the country’s largest institutional investor, has likely in...

Pension funds NPS expects Korea’s WGBI inclusion to attract $56 billion in foreign funds

The National Pension Service (NPS), South Korea’s state-run pension fund and the country’s largest institutional investor, expects some ...

Corporate restructuring Lotte Group denies liquidity crisis rumors to calm bond holders

Lotte Group on Thursday denied liquidity crisis rumors sparked by Lotte Chemical Corp.'s struggle to meet a bond redemption request after the South ...

Logistics Korean logistics companies expand overseas businesses

South Korea’s logistics companies such as local industry leader CJ Logistics Corp. are expanding their overseas operations to take advantage o...

Retail Korean duty-free shops post Q3 losses; no signs of recovery

The four major duty-free shop operators in South Korea on Thursday posted operating losses in the third quarter, marking the first quarter in almo...

Leadership & Management SK to nurture 10,000 AI talent, introduce Board 2.0 to enhance governance

SK Group, South Korea’s second-largest conglomerate, said on Monday it plans to nurture 10,000 artificial intelligence professionals over the ...

Construction & Planning Hyundai E&C signs engineering deal for two nuclear reactors in Bulgaria

South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. has signed a nuclear power plant design contract with Bulgaria's state nuclear power ...

ASK 2024 Korean LPs tighten due diligence on general partners

In the wake of COVID-19, South Korean pension funds and insurance companies have placed a greater focus on asset managers' capabilities for post-inv...

Pension funds S.Korea’s NPS investment arm suffers from chronic understaffing

South Korea’s largest institutional investor, the National Pension Service (NPS), managing 1,150 trillion won ($870.6 billion) in assets, stru...

Electronics Samsung Galaxy S25 to run on Qualcomm chips

The Galaxy S25, a new iteration of Samsung Electronics Co.'s flagship Galaxy smartphone series, will run on Qualcomm Inc.’s application proces...

Automobiles GM Korea’s 2024 sales growth likely stunted due to protracted labor strike

GM Korea Co., the South Korean unit of US auto giant General Motors Co., faces growing disruptions to its vehicle production amid a protracted labor...

Petrochemicals Lotte Chemical's rating outlook cut on worsening financials

South Korea’s No. 2 petrochemicals maker Lotte Chemical Corp. has taken a hit from a lowered credit-rating outlook of the company and its majo...

Electronics Samsung to offer AI features in Galaxy Z6 foldable series

Samsung Electronics Co. will power its Galaxy Z6 series due to be unveiled next month with mobile AI technology, including a live translation featur...

Electric vehicles Hyundai to launch EV model of Staria minivan in 2026

South Korea’s top automaker, Hyundai Motor Co., is slated to launch an electric vehicle model of its Staria van in 2026 to respond to the inte...

IPOs Tencent-backed Shift Up seeks June IPO at $2.6 bn value

South Korean gaming firm Shift Up Corp. is eyeing an initial public offering on the main Kospi in June, with an enterprise value of 3.48 trillion wo...

Korean stock market Samyang tops Korean ramen makers by market cap, beating Nongshim

South Korean food maker Samyang Foods Co., globally renowned for its Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen, saw its stock hit a record high on Friday after it de...

Electric vehicles Hyundai’s first full-size electric Genesis GV90 to roll out in late 2025

The Genesis, Hyundai Motor Co.'s standalone premium brand, will launch its first full-size electric sport utility vehicle, the GV90, late next ...

Airlines Jin Air to resume Incheon-Hong Kong route in July

South Korea's low-cost carrier Jin Air announced on Friday that it will resume flights on the Incheon to Hong Kong route on July 18.This marks the r...