Seoul Financial Hub
Scope
Date
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IPOs
Regulatory moves delay Kakao Group’s IPO plans
Toughening regulations on big tech firms in South Korea are impacting the IPO timeline of Kakao Pay Corp. and Kakao Mobility Corp. According to the ...
Sep 14, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Private debt
Monroe Capital opens first Asian outpost in Seoul
The US private credit markets-focused Monroe Capital LLC has made its foray into Asia by opening an office in South Korea, where the National Pensio...
Sep 14, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Korea content platform startup to buy Getty Images unit
A South Korean content platform startup OGQ Corp. is set to take over the world’s leading stock content company Getty Images Inc.’s unit...
Sep 13, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Real estate
Seoul Q2 office prices rise at fastest rate in 10 yrs
Seoul office building prices rose at their strongest rate in 10 years in the second quarter of this year, driven by domestic investors as the Seoul ...
Sep 11, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Carbon neutrality
S.Korea to allow brokerages to trade carbon credits
Financial services companies, including brokerage firms, will be able to participate in South Korea's carbon emission trading market by year's end a...
Sep 08, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Future mobility
Parts maker Mando raises profile as investor in future mobility startups
Halla Group’s auto components unit Mando Corp. is rapidly expanding its profile as a startup investor in the future mobility sector.Mando was ...
Aug 29, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Real estate
NPS in $2 bn real estate development project in Seoul
The National Pension Service (NPS) has agreed to participate in a 2.6 trillion won ($2.2 billion) real estate development project in western Seoul, ...
Aug 26, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Markets
Korean household debt estimated to top $1.5 tn
South Korea’s household debt was estimated to have exceeded $1.5 trillion to reach a record high last month, and tighter monetary policies at ...
Aug 22, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Alternative investments
Office tower near Seoul up for sale for about $900 mn
Alpharium Tower, a landmark office tower in Pangyo Techno Valley near Seoul, will be put on the market later this year, which is expected to fetch t...
Aug 13, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Hanwha Systems invests $300 million in UK satellite firm OneWeb
Hanwha Systems Co., the defense and air mobility unit of Hanwha Group, is investing $300 million in UK’s satellite communications firm OneWeb ...
Aug 12, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Real estate
Seoul property prices rise at world's fastest rate
The commercial real estate market in Seoul saw the fastest rate of price growth among all the gateway cities in the world over the past 12 months, w...
Aug 11, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
S.Korea's top laundry franchise Cleantopia sold to PEF
South Korea's largest laundry service provider Cleantopia Co. was sold on Tuesday for about 190 billion won ($165 million) to Seoul-based JKL Partne...
Aug 10, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Banking & Finance
KakaoBank falls out of Kospi top 10 on 3rd trading day
KakaoBank Corp. has fallen out of the top 10 list on Kospi on Aug. 10, its third trading day, with Celltrion and Kia Corp. overtaking the company ag...
Aug 10, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Philanthropy
MBK chair says philanthropy, writing are equally important in his life
Michael ByungJu Kim, founder and chairman of Korea’s largest private equity firm MBK Partners, will donate 30 billion won ($26 million) to the...
Aug 08, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
KakaoBank becomes Korea's most valuable lender
KakaoBank Corp. became South Korea’s first listed internet-only bank and the country's most valuable lender upon its trading debut on Aug. 6...
Aug 06, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Naver Financial, SoftBank invest $25 mn in blockchain startup TBCASoft
South Korea-based Naver Financial, the fintech arm of online giant Naver Corp., has invested $20 million in a Series B funding round for the US-base...
Aug 05, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Beauty & Cosmetics
Seoul to create K-beauty road as part of interactive tourism
South Korea’s capital city Seoul will set up a walking route full of beauty products, services and interactive programs for visiting tourists....
Aug 04, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Banking & Finance
Korea’s major banking groups post record-high earnings in H1
South Korea’s major banking groups have posted the highest-ever net profit figures in the first half of this year. Shinhan Financial Group rep...
Jul 27, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Culture & Trends
Lee Kun-hee’s art collection exhibited from this month in Seoul
The lavish art collection donated by the Samsung Group following the death of group chairman Lee Kun-hee will be shown to the public from July 21. The...
Jul 20, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Entertainment
Disney Plus' S.Korea launch delayed after Netflix's court loss
Disney Plus, a global over-the-top (OTT) streaming service provider, has pushed back its South Korean service launch by about a quarter to the end o...
Jul 20, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
KDB seeks to sell $2.3 bn CBs in HMM to lay groundwork for stake sale
The state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) is seeking to sell 2.6 trillion won ($2.3 billion) in perpetual convertible bonds issued by HMM Co., th...
Jul 19, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Robotics
Woowa Brothers launches last-mile indoor food delivery robot in Seoul
Woowa Brothers Corp., South Korea’s top food delivery app operator, has launched a last-mile indoor robot food delivery service, as people inc...
Jul 13, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Central banking
Fed’s Powell, BOK chief to meet during G20 gathering
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and Bank of Korea (BOK) Governor Lee Ju-yeol will meet during a Group of 20 (G20) gathering of finance ministe...
Jul 09, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Sovereign wealth funds
KIC aims to boost alternatives to 25% by 2027
The Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) will gradually increase alternative investments such as venture capital, private equity and debt, and infrast...
Jul 01, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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COVID-19
Eyegene to kick off Korea’s first mRNA clinical trial
Eyegene Inc. will be South Korea’s first vaccine maker to conduct clinical tests of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccines. Ealie...
Jul 01, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Artificial intelligence
NH Financial to buy $20 mn stake in Japan's solar farm
South Korea's NongHyup Financial Group, or NH Financial Group, has acquired a stake in a solar power plant in Japan from Korea Electric Power Corp. ...
Jun 28, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Entertainment
Netflix loses first court case over network usage fee
Global streaming giant Netflix Inc. lost a South Korean court case on Friday, in the world's first ruling over a dispute about whether over-the-top ...
Jun 25, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Krafton hiccup: Financial regulator concerned over high IPO share price
South Korean game developer Krafton Inc.'s road to an initial public offering is getting rocky with the country's financial regulator expressing con...
Jun 25, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Life & Arts
Art auction sales in Korea soar to highest point since 2008 financial crisis
South Korea’s art market is facing the biggest boom since the global financial crisis, drawing wealthy investors and art enthusiasts alike. Se...
Jun 23, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Electric vehicles
Seoul to host EV-only Formula E World Championship in 2022
South Korea’s capital Seoul will be finally hosting the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in August 2022, with BTS as the global ambassador...
Jun 18, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)