major domestic banks
Scope
Date
~
-
Batteries
SK Nexilis, POSCO move forward with EV battery materials projects
With competition heating up in the global race for more eco-friendly cars, South Korea’s major companies are moving forward with their plans t...
May 27, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
language -
Fintech
KakaoBank’s skyrocketing valuation fuels debate on financial reform
There have been near-endless debates regarding the “proper valuation” of KakaoBank, South Korea’s largest internet-only bank that ...
May 25, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
-
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)
-
Banking & Finance
Internet-only K Bank to raise $1.05 bn in rights offering
South Korea’s first internet-only bank, K Bank, will be raising 1.2 trillion won ($1.05 billion) from existing and new investors for business ...
May 21, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
language -
Digital currency
Naver joins Korean central bank's digital currency initiative
South Korea’s platform giant Naver Corp. is taking the leap into the digital currency platform market with its plans to participate in the Ban...
May 14, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Batteries
Korea’s major firms look for M&A targets in battery materials business
South Korea’s major companies are looking for merger and acquisition opportunities in the rechargeable battery materials sector, which is grow...
May 06, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
language -
Korean startups
Korea Credit Data raises over $35 mn from Pavilion, GS, KB Bank
South Korea-based fintech firm Korea Credit Data (KCD) has raised around 40 billion won ($36 million) from Singapore-based private equity firm Pavil...
Apr 20, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
-
IPOs
Kakao Bank applies for preliminary review of 2021 IPO
Kakao Bank, South Korea's No.1 mobile banking app., has kicked off the process to go public by applying for a preliminary review of its stock market...
Apr 15, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
language -
Samsung Group
Banks keen to lend to Samsung heirs for inheritance tax
South Korean banks are queuing up to extend credit to Samsung Group's de-facto leader Jay Y. Lee and his family who are due to pay over 2 trillion w...
Apr 14, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Pension funds
NPS bows to pressure to up domestic equity ceiling
The National Pension Service has bowed to pressure from retail investors to raise the upper limit for domestic stock purchases, after it was blamed ...
Apr 09, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Portfolio readjustments
NPS under fire over rule change to raise domestic stock purchase limit
South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS) came under fire over its expected rule change aimed at raising the upper limit for domestic stock...
Mar 25, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
language -
Korean games
Netmarble buys majority stake in US game maker Kung Fu Factory
Netmarble Corp., a South Korean mobile game developer, has acquired a majority stake in Kung Fu Factory, a US independent game company, for an undis...
Feb 22, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Private equity
S.Korean internet-only bank seeks to raise $540 mn; attracts global PE firms
South Korea’s internet-only bank, K bank, is seeking to raise up to 600 billion won ($540 million) through a rights offering, attracting glo...
Feb 19, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
language -
Alternative investments
Korean banks fund alternative deals with $540 mn loans via KIC
South Korean banks have offered a combined $540 million in syndicated loans to fund overseas alternative investments, in which Korea Investment Corp...
Feb 09, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Banking & Finance
Tight margins, regulatory meddling weigh on Korean banks
The five leading banks in South Korea, including Kookmin and Shinhan, logged their first drop in net profit last year in five years, dented by shrin...
Feb 08, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
-
ESG bonds
Hana Bank issues $600 mn euro-currency bonds with negative yield
Hana Bank has become South Korea’s first commercial bank to issue foreign currency bonds at a negative yield, raising 500 million euros ($606 ...
Jan 21, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Mergers & Acquisitions
Internet portal Naver in negotiations to buy Korea’s Jeju Bank
Naver Corp., South Korea’s top online portal, is interested in buying Jeju Bank, named for and based on the country's largest island, to secur...
Jan 19, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Economy
S.Korean banks' household, company loans near $1.8 trn
South Korean households and companies have taken out fresh loans worth 208 trillion won ($189 billion) from banks last year, pushing the outstanding...
Jan 15, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
-
ESG
Korea requires major companies to disclose ESG activities from 2025
Big companies listed on South Korea’s major stock market will be required to disclose their business activities related to environmental, soci...
Jan 14, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Venture capital
S.Korea to back $18 bn domestic VC fund plan by 2025
The South Korean government will inject 1 trillion won ($924 million) into homegrown venture capital funds this year, with a plan to launch three VC...
Jan 04, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Rights offerings
Kakao Bank wraps up $921 mn rights offering
South Korea's mobile-only bank has wrapped up its $920.5 million rights offering, placing the enterprise value at around 9.3 trillion won ($8.6 ...
Dec 30, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Markets
Korea’s stock markets rise most among majors; beat S&P 500, Nasdaq gains
South Korean bourses on Wednesday wrapped up this year's trade at their highest levels of the year, rising the most among major equity markets and b...
Dec 30, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Pre-IPOs
Korean beauty chain draws Goldman, five domestic final bidders
Goldman Sachs Principal Investment Area (PIA) and five South Korean companies, including four private equity firms, have made final bids for a min...
Dec 16, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Survey
Bank CEOs in Korea pick big tech as top 2021 challenge
Chief executives of banks operating in South Korea have picked the emergence of big technology companies and fintech startups in the credit market a...
Dec 08, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Mergers & Acquisitions
Shinhan, Hana fund KKR’s $5.6 bn UK deal with $63 mn in loans
Two leading South Korean banks – Shinhan and Hana – have provided a combined 47 million pounds ($63 million) in senior loans to finance ...
Dec 04, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Steel
Korean steel majors positioned as 2021 market darlings
Corporate earnings generally come in line with estimates from market analysts, who closely monitor industry conditions. But this year, one sector anal...
Nov 18, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Pre-IPOs
Anchor Equity, TPG invest $500 mn in Korean mobile banking app
Hong Kong-based Anchor Equity Partners has agreed to invest 250 billion won ($226 million) to buy new shares in South Korea’s KakaoBank, shortly...
Nov 17, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Airlines
Largest domestic carrier Korean Air posts Q3 surplus; peers swing negative
South Korea’s flag carrier Korean Air Lines Co. has posted an operating profit for two straight quarters thanks to robust cargo operations keepi...
Nov 05, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Subordinated bond issues
Kookmin Bank sells $500 mn in subordinated bonds to fund ESG projects
South Korea’s Kookmin Bank has issued $500 million in subordinated bonds as part of its efforts to expand loans for environmental, social and go...
Oct 29, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Business expansion
Shinhan closing in on HSBC to be top foreign bank in Vietnam
Shinhan Bank Vietnam Ltd., the Vietnamese subsidiary of Shinhan Bank, is close to becoming the top foreign bank in Vietnam thanks to its solid perform...
Oct 27, 2020 (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