Whalebook 2-in-1
Scope
Date
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Bio
Celltrion group tipped to exceed 1 trillion won in profit; first among bio firms
South Korea’s Celltrion Inc. and its affiliates are expected to post robust operating profits this year on the back of strong sales of Remsima a...
Sep 15, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Central bank
BOK to buy $4.2 bn in state bonds by year-end to stabilize debt market
The Bank of Korea will buy state bonds worth 5 trillion won ($4.2 billion) directly from the market by the end of this year to stabilize the local deb...
Sep 08, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Restructuring
Doosan Heavy to wrap up first-round restructuring with $1.1 bn new share sale
Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co. Ltd., the debt-ridden South Korean power plant builder, is set to wrap up the first round of its debt r...
Sep 04, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Rights offering
Affinity Equity, Baring PEA tipped to invest $1 bn in Shinhan Financial
Affinity Equity Partners and Baring Private Equity Asia will likely invest a combined 1.2 trillion won ($1 billion) in new shares of Shinhan Financial...
Sep 04, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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M&A
PAG inks $127 mn deal to sell Tobots-maker Young Toys to MiraeN, 2 local PEFs
Hong Kong-based investment firm PAG has agreed to sell South Korean toymaker Young Toys Inc. to a consortium led by local education service provi...
Aug 27, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Central bank
Bank of Korea sees 2020 GDP contract 1.3%; keeps base rate on hold
The Bank of Korea revised down its 2020 growth forecast for the South Korean economy to a negative 1.3% from the previous 0.2% contraction on August 2...
Aug 27, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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dollar bond
KT issues $400 mn dollar-denominated bond with record-low 1% interest rate
South Korea’s telecom giant KT Corp. has set a record-low interest rate among privately-held Korean companies with the issue of a dollar-denomin...
Aug 25, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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KOSPI
Credit Suisse raises KOSPI target to 2,600 amid positive outlook for market recovery
Swiss-based investment bank Credit Suisse has raised its KOSPI target to 2,600 from 2,300 on August 19 on the back of the weakened US dollar and impro...
Aug 20, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Battery
Korea’s leading EV battery makers’ R&D spending hits record $1 bn in H1
South Korea’s three leading electric-vehicle (EV) battery makers are investing heavily in EV research & development projects to gain ground ...
Aug 18, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Shareholder activism
Local activist fund acquires additional 1.48% in Hanjin KAL through successful public tender
Activist fund Korea Corporate Governance Improvement (KCGI) and mid-sized builder Bando Engineering & Construction have succeeded in their pu...
Aug 12, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Real estate
Seoul apartments’ average selling price tops 1 billion won for first time
The average selling price of apartment units in Seoul has surpassed the psychologically important 1 billion won ($845,000) mark for the first time, al...
Aug 12, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Bio
Samsung Biologics to double bioreactor capacity with $1.5 bn new plant
Samsung Biologics Co. Ltd., the world’s largest contract manufacturing organization (CMO) in terms of capacity, will invest 1.74 trillion won ($...
Aug 11, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Joblessness rate
Korea’s July jobless claims hit $1 bn; insurance funds’ deficit to widen
South Korea's jobless claims payments topped 1 trillion won ($842 million) for the third consecutive month in July, threatening to widen the shortfall...
Aug 10, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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sneaker resale market
Companies eye $2 bn sneaker resale market to lure next generation
Korea’s sneaker resale market is gaining traction as it becomes increasingly lucrative for buyers and sellers. The $2 billion sneaker resale mar...
Aug 10, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Entertainment
Naver Webtoon becomes industry's first to post over $2.5 mn for daily paid-content
Naver Webtoon has become the industry's first to post over 3 billion won ($2.5 million) for daily paid-content as of August 2, breaking its own r...
Aug 07, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Markets
Korean stocks end at highest level in 2 years as ants load up
South Korean shares rallied for a second consecutive session on Wednesday, ending at the highest level in nearly two years, as individual investors sn...
Aug 05, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Real Estate
Foreigners’ Jan-May Korea apartment purchases top $1 bn on buying spree
Foreign investors have stepped up apartment purchases in South Korea in recent years, adding fuel to the already heated residential property market wh...
Aug 04, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Shareholder activism
Local activist fund announces tender offer for 1.2 million warrants in Korean Air's parent company
A Korean activist fund that failed to oust Hanjin KAL's current management during a shareholder meeting in March is trying to increase its stake ...
Jul 23, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Private equity
One Equity Partners fully exits from Celltrion with $1.8 bn in proceeds
One Equity Partners (OEP), a New York based private equity firm, unloaded its remaining shares in Celltrion Healthcare valued at approximately 31...
Jul 07, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Pension fund
NPS and Allianz to set up $2.3 bn Asian property fund
The National Pension Service (NPS) is to launch a $2.3 billion property fund with Germany’s Allianz SE to invest in core real estate in Asia, wi...
Jun 29, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Oil
NH Investment joins in $10.1 bn Abu Dhabi deal for $1.3 bn stake
NH Investment & Securities Co. Ltd. will invest about 1.6 trillion won ($1.3 billion) in Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s (ADNOC) gas pipeli...
Jun 24, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Airlines
Korean developer puts on hold $2.1 bn Asiana Airlines deal with no timeline
HDC Hyundai Development Co. has postponed its 2.5 trillion won ($2.1 billion) acquisition of Asiana Airlines Inc. with no clear timeline for the deal ...
Apr 30, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Airlines
Korean Air may sell core assets estimated at $2.4 bn to ease cash crunch
Hanjin Group, parent of Korean Air Lines Co. Ltd., is considering selling three core businesses of the carrier -- in-flight meal service, mileage prog...
Apr 27, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Logistics
Canada and Dutch pension funds to launch $1 bn Korean logistics JV with ESR
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments), the Netherlands’ APG and China’s logistics property developer ESR have agreed to s...
Apr 24, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Private equity
Prudential to sell Korean unit to KB Financial for $1.9 bn
Prudential Financial Inc. has decided to sell its South Korean insurance arm to KB Financial Group for about 2.3 trillion won ($1.9 billion) and will ...
Apr 10, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Venture capital
Balance Hero banks on India's 1.3B with fintech
Expanding to India was a no-brainer decision for Lee Cheol-won."It took just five minutes to make the call," said Lee, CEO of Balance Hero, a financia...
Mar 05, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Private equity
KKR secures $1.2 bn exits in Korea for two Asia funds
KKR & Co. has sold a modern logistics facility it had developed in a South Korean port in a transaction estimated to be worth more than 200 billio...
Feb 05, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Shareholder activism
Elliott sells off over $1 bn shares in Hyundai Motor, two affiliates in two yrs
Elliott Management Corp. has disposed of all its shares in three key units of the Hyundai Motor Group, currently worth $1.5 billion, after its nearly ...
Jan 23, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Pension fund
POBA to commit $111 mn to AXA’s $1.6 bn Europe logistics fund
The Public Officials Benefit Association (POBA) will commit around 130 billion won ($111 million) to AXA Investment’s 1.4 billion euro ($1.6 bil...
Jan 03, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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Asiana Airlines
HDC-Mirae Asset consortium takes majority in Asiana Airlines for $2.2 bn
A consortium of Hyundai Development Company (HDC) and Mirae Asset Daewoo Co. Ltd. has agreed to take a 76.5% stake in Asiana Airlines Inc. for 2.5 tri...
Dec 29, 2019 (Gmt+09:00)
Latest News
- 1 Hyundai, Waymo forge multi-year, strategic partnership for self-driving vehicles
- 2 AI startup MarqVision raises $16.5 mn to close Series A
- 3 Taihan Cable wins $630 mn power grid project in Singapore
- 4 Korean startup scene is gloomy, say 2 out of 5 startup CEOs
- 5 MBK ups stakes for Korea Zinc to match buyback offer