Chinese online platforms
Scope
Date
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Fintech
KDB bets big on fintech platform Toss ahead of 2023 IPO
The Korea Development Bank (KDB) has decided to invest 80 billion won ($72 million) in the fintech startup Toss via a rights offering. This marks th...
Jun 04, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mobile networks
Samsung unveils low-end 5G phone to rival China’s cheap models
Samsung Electronics Co. on Friday launched a low-end 5G smartphone in overseas markets amid intensified price competition initiated by Chinese mobil...
Jun 04, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Media
Naver to gain toehold in OTT market via CJ ENM
South Korea's Naver Corp. is expanding its footprint into the over-the-top (OTT) media service market by acquiring a stake in CJ ENM Co.'s OTT platf...
Jun 02, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
SM Entertainment emerges as next flashpoint for Kakao, Naver rivalry
As SM Entertainment Co., the label behind the global K-pop phenomenon, is up for grabs in the M&A market, the battle heats up between the countr...
Jun 01, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Luxury goods platform MUST'IT raises over $10 mn from VC firms
South Korea-based luxury goods platform MUST'IT has secured 13 billion won ($11.7 million) in a bridge round from venture capital firms Kakao Invest...
May 31, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
K-pop content platforms team up to take lead in community market
Platform operators targeting global K-pop fans are mired in fierce competition as companies team up to vie for the lead in the fan community platfor...
May 31, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Deals
Naver, CJ ENM join forces to acquire Korea's No.3 web novel platform
South Korea’s platform giant Naver Corp. has joined forces with CJ Group to acquire the country's leading web novel platform Munpia Inc. in a ...
May 28, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Electronics
Samsung Display to expand small OLED line with $2.7 bn investment
Samsung Display Co., South Korea’s largest display maker, plans to spend as much as 3 trillion won ($2.7 billion) to build a new organic light...
May 28, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Fintech platform Toss seeks $180 mn in fresh funding
South Korean fintech startup Toss is seeking to raise 200 billion won ($177 million) in fresh funding, which would almost treble its valuation to 8 ...
May 21, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Fashion platform Ably looks to raise over $20 mn
South Korea-based Ably Corporation, the operator of fashion platform Ably, is seeking to raise around 40 billion won ($35.3 million), attracting a p...
May 20, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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ASK 2021
POBA CIO says to expand SMAs, co-investment platforms
South Korea's Public Officials Benefit Association (POBA) has earmarked over 1 trillion won ($900 million) for new real estate investments overseas ...
May 14, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Heated shopping platform M&As shake up fashion industry
South Korea's fashion industry is all shook up following the No. 1 online fashion platform Musinsa's decision to acquire 29CM, the country’s s...
May 10, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Freelancer market platform Kmong raises near $28mn in Series C round
South-Korea based freelancer market platform Kmong Inc. has successfully attracted 31.2 billion won ($27.8 million) in its latest Series C funding, ...
May 04, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Startup funding: Metaverse platform Anipen; autonomous vehicle simulator Morai
South Korea-based metaverse platform Anipen has raised 8.5 billion won ($7.6 million) from VC firms, including Partners Investment and Union Investm...
Apr 27, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Fintech platform Kakao Pay applies for Kospi IPO
Kakao Pay Corp., a unit of South Korea's largest mobile messaging app Kakao Corp., submitted an application for its initial public offering with the...
Apr 26, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Retail
Fashion platforms for MZers attract investors; valuations surge
Fashion e-commerce platforms that have become mainstream shopping venues for millennials and Generation Z, or MZers, are seeing their valuations sur...
Apr 21, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Tech, Media & Telecom
Naver, Kakao vie for Korean web novel platform
Naver Corp. and Kakao Corp., South Korea's two online giants, are competing to acquire Munpia Inc., their smaller domestic rival in the web novel ma...
Apr 15, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Entertainment
Korean content shares soar as platforms eye overseas expansion
Shares of Korean content providers are flying high as platform operators such as Kakao Entertainment Corp. are looking to expand overseas to bask in...
Apr 14, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Cryptocurrencies
Chinese investors enjoy bitcoin arbitrage gains on Kimchi Premium
Chinese investors trading in digital assets such as bitcoin are reaping decent arbitrage gains in South Korea as the so-called Kimchi Premium has re...
Apr 13, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Private equity
IMM PE's art of the exit: Cable maker, online mall
Seoul-based IMM Private Equity has come into the spotlight with a series of lucrative exits in South Korea, including the 265 billion won ($237 mill...
Apr 08, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Shinsegae buys Korean online fashion mall from IMM PE
Shinsegae Group has acquired South Korea's leading online fashion platform from IMM Private Equity, in a transaction estimated at between 250 billio...
Apr 01, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Webtoons
French webtoon platform posts over 200% growth via Korean content
South Korea’s online content platform KidariStudio Inc. announced on Mar. 31 that its France-based webtoon arm, Delitoon SAS, logged around 10...
Mar 31, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Electric vehicles
Kia debuts all-electric EV6; runs faster, longer than Tesla, IONIQ 5
Kia Corp. on Tuesday debuted the EV6, its first dedicated electric vehicle built on Hyundai Motor Group’s new EV platform, amid intensifying com...
Mar 30, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Chinese PE firm pays $1.4 bn to take over Magnachip Semiconductor
South Korean chipmaker Magnachip Semiconductor Corp. announced on Mar. 27 that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by China-ba...
Mar 28, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Lotte buys S.Korea’s top secondhand e-commerce platform
South Korea’s retail giant Lotte is expanding its presence in the e-commerce sector with the acquisition of Joonggonara, the country’s l...
Mar 23, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Travel platform Yanolja eyes US IPO in dual listing
South Korea’s largest travel platform Yanolja has begun the internal process to list in both the US and South Korea, by which the company expe...
Mar 22, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Online fashion platform Musinsa raises $115 mn from VC firms
South Korea’s top online fashion retailer Musinsa has raised another 130 billion won ($115 million) from Sequoia Capital and IMM Investment, g...
Mar 16, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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K-pop
Spotify, Kakao settle licensing dispute; K-pop returns to platform
Spotify Technology S.A., the world's largest music streaming service, has reached a licensing agreement with Kakao Entertainment Corp., to make musi...
Mar 11, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
eBay Korea set to fuel rivalry between retail, online giants
The planned sale of eBay Inc.’s South Korean operations is gathering steam ahead of Coupang Corp.'s US stock market listing this week, with th...
Mar 08, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Alternative investments
Korea Ratings forays into online due diligence for alternatives
South Korea’s leading credit rating and business valuation services provider, Korea Ratings, has stepped into the online due diligence service...
Mar 07, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)