Blue Whale 1
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Date
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Korean startups
Online study assistant operator Bebridge receives $1.9 mn in pre-Series A
South Korean startup Bebridge Inc. announced Thursday it raised 2.5 billion won ($1.9 million) in pre-Series A round from Magna Investment, Bluepoin...
Jul 21, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Batteries
Samsung SDI to build new battery plant in Malaysia by 2025
South Korea’s battery manufacturer Samsung SDI Co. held a groundbreaking ceremony for Plant 2 to make cylindrical batteries in Seremban, Mal...
Jul 21, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Private equity
SK Square makes its first exit seeking new target firms
South Korean investment firm SK Square Co. has sold all of its shares in Korean biotech NanoEntek Inc., a 28.4% stake, for 58 billion won ($44.3 mil...
Jul 20, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean chipmakers
SK Hynix puts $3.3 billion factory plan on hold amid global uncertainty
SK Hynix Inc., the world’s second-largest memory chipmaker, has decided to hold off on a 4.3 trillion won ($3.3 billion) plan to build a new N...
Jul 20, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Future mobility
SK Telecom to take lead in UAM biz with telco know-how
BUSAN -- South Korea’s top mobile carrier SK Telecom Co. aims to dominate the urban air mobility market based on its expertise and know-how in...
Jul 17, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Foreign exchange
Won may head to 1,400 against the dollar for 1st time since 2008-09 crisis
The South Korean won is expected to weaken to 1,400 against the dollar, a level not seen since the 2008-09 global financial crisis as the country&rs...
Jul 15, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Bain Capital, Lotte Chem. among shortlisted bidders for Iljin
A US private equity firm Bain Capital and South Korea’s major petrochemical manufacturer Lotte Chemical Corp. were among the shortlisted candi...
Jul 13, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Hansol Paper joins Series A funding for RIU worth $1.5 mn
Hansol Paper Co. announced Thursday that it participated as a strategic investor in a Series A funding worth 2 billion won ($1.5 million) for South ...
Jul 08, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
SD Biosensor, SJL Partners to acquire Meridian Bioscience for $1.53 bn
SD Biosensor Inc., the world's largest COVID-19 test kit seller, and private equity firm SJL Partners LLC are jointly acquiring Meridian Bioscience ...
Jul 07, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Foreign exchange
Korean won forecast to weaken further after hitting 13-year low
The South Korean won is expected to further depreciate after touching its lowest level since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, on concerns that...
Jul 07, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Private equity
Small S.Korean PE firms flex muscle during pandemic
Private equity firms registered in South Korea enjoyed a 20% jump in their accumulated commitments in 2021 as a whole, led by small and medium-sized...
Jul 06, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Economy
Korea faces risk from record $114 bn in inventory assets
South Korea’s major listed companies held record inventory assets as they piled up raw materials to deal with the global supply chain disrupti...
Jul 06, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean chipmakers
LG Innotek to invest $1.1 bn to ramp up substrate, camera module output
South Korea’s LG Innotek Co. said on Wednesday it will invest 1.4 trillion won ($1.1 billion) in expanding facilities for semiconductor substr...
Jul 06, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Unison Capital puts Korea dental scanner maker up for sale
Unison Capital Inc., a middle-market focused private equity firm, put the world’s third-largest 3D dental scanner maker on the market. The dea...
Jul 05, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Tech, Media & Telecom
Naver’s web browser Whale challenges global rivals
South Korea’s homegrown web browser Whale, developed by Naver Corp., is quietly increasing its presence in the domestic market, where Google C...
Jul 05, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Korea’s Socar gets pushback for high valuation ahead of IPO
South Korea’s mobility unicorn Socar Inc. faces controversy over its valuation after the car-sharing startup set the price guidance for its in...
Jun 30, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Corporate investment
LG eyes clean tech supremacy with $1.5 bn spending on green projects
South Korea’s fourth-largest conglomerate LG is setting its sights on clean energy technology as it steps up efforts to transform into an eco-...
Jun 30, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Mobility platform Socar targets $1.2 bn value for Aug IPO
South Korea’s car-sharing platform Socar Inc. has estimated its corporate value at up to 1.6 trillion won ($1.2 billion) for an initial public...
Jun 27, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Bio & Pharma
1 in 4 biotech firms struggles with decreasing cash reserves
South Korea’s biotechnology firms – public and private alike – are facing increasingly negative financial conditions. T...
Jun 26, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean stock market
S.Korea stocks see dead cat bounce; outlook remains gloomy
South Korea’s shares on Friday rebounded after tumbling in the previous two straight sessions, outperforming their peers in Asia, but few expe...
Jun 24, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Batteries
Samsung SDI inks $6.6 bn deal for 60% of elecfoil needs
Samsung SDI Co., South Korea’s major battery maker, inked a $6.6 billion contract to secure 60% of its needs for elecfoil, an ingredient for c...
Jun 24, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Entertainment
Korea’s adult audio platform eyes Japan for global biz
South Korea’s adult audio content platform for women raised money to make inroads into Japan as a start of its global business.Sensual Moment ...
Jun 21, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Electronics
LG Display to raise $1 billion to ramp up OLED module line in Vietnam
LG Display Co., a major South Korean display panel maker, said on Wednesday it is raising $1 billion in new funding from global banks to expand its ...
Jun 15, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean chipmakers
Doosan adds chip post-processing to list of growth drivers
Doosan Group has added semiconductor post-processing services to its core businesses and plans to invest 1 trillion won ($774 million) in its microc...
Jun 15, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Baring PEA set to buy $1 bn stake in PI Advanced Materials
Hong Kong-based Baring Private Equity Asia is set to buy a majority stake in the world’s largest polyimide film manufacturer PI Advanced Mater...
Jun 07, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
SKC to sell plastic film business to Hahn & Co. for $1.3 billion
SKC Ltd., the chemical materials unit of South Korea’s SK Group, is selling its plastic film business to private equity firm Hahn & Co. fo...
Jun 02, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Corporate restructuring
SK set to buy stake in Bill Gates' TerraPower
SK Innovation Co., South Korea's leading petrochemical company, is planning to buy a stake in TerraPower, a US nuclear power venture founded by Bill...
Jun 02, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean SMEs
Korea top capsule maker expands Vietnam plant in global push
South Korea’s top capsule and functional food maker is expanding its plant in Vietnam to raise its presence in the world market with the goal ...
May 31, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Private equity
KKR closes Asia's largest credit fund at $1.1 bn
KKR & Co. on Wednesday announced the final close of its first Asia credit fund at $1.1 billion, the largest such fund focused on Asia.The privat...
May 25, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Corporate investment
Hanwha to boost defense, aerospace biz with $2.1 bn spending
Hanwha Group, South Korea’s chemical-to-financial conglomerate, is set to invest 37.6 trillion won ($29.8 billion) in future growth sectors su...
May 25, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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