Deals

IPOs
Lotte Rental resumes IPO process; seeks $1.8 bn valuation
South Korea’s leading rental car company Lotte Rental Co. has resumed its initial public offering process, despite having earlier postponed it, to address the increasing financial burden placed on its parent company Hotel Lotte Co.The compa
Jan 15, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Venture capital
S.Korea’s VC fundraising hits all-time high in 2020
Venture capital funds in South Korea have raised their largest-ever amount of 6.6 trillion won ($6 billion) last year, supported by government polic...
Jan 14, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Yogiyo sale gains steam as Baemin investors set for Q1 exit
Financial investors in South Korea's No. 1 food delivery app Baedal Minjok (Baemin) are set to exit in the first quarter of this year, closing t...
Jan 14, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Top court rules in favor of Doosan Infracore; sale to Hyundai to proceed
The sale process for Doosan Infracore Co. is gaining traction after it won a legal dispute with financial investors over a case involving the top So...
Jan 14, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Corporate bonds
SK Hynix to issue $2.5 bn worth of global bonds; largest amount ever
SK Hynix Inc. is planning to issue $2.5 billion worth of global bonds, the largest amount to be raised in a bond issue by a South Korean company, dr...
Jan 14, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Aerospace & Defense
Hanwha to buy controlling stake in Korean satellite maker
Hanwha Aerospace Co., an aircraft engine components maker, will acquire a 30% stake in a South Korean Earth observation satellite maker for 109 bill...
Jan 14, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Korean Air begins due diligence on Asiana Airlines
The proposed union between South Korea’s two leading airlines is nearing the finish line as Korean Air Lines Co. begins due diligence on Asi...
Jan 12, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Coupang gets the green light for Nasdaq listing
South Korea’s e-commerce giant Coupang Corp. has received the green light for its Nasdaq listing, increasing the possibility of a trading ...
Jan 11, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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ESG bonds
Hyundai, Kia to raise $921 mn in green bonds for future mobility
Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. plan to issue green bonds worth a combined 1 trillion won ($912 million) as they gear up to raise money for...
Jan 11, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Batteries
LG Energy Solution to begin IPO process, eyes H2 listing on local bourse
LG Chem Ltd.’s battery unit, LG Energy Solution, is set to become this year’s initial public offering blockbuster with its plan to list ...
Jan 10, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Future mobility
IMM PE, Affirma Capital shortlisted for T Map Mobility's $275 mn fundraising
Competition is heating up among domestic and foreign private equity firms hoping to invest in T Map Mobility Co., a mobility spin-off of South Korea...
Jan 08, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Korean PE firm acquires Achronix Semiconductor via SPAC merger
South Korea-based private equity firm Ace Equity Partners has acquired Achronix Semiconductor Corp., a US-based fabless company, through a special p...
Jan 08, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Coupang eyes Nasdaq listing in Q2
South Korea’s leading e-commerce giant Coupang Corp. is preparing for a trading debut on the Nasdaq in the second quarter, by which the compan...
Jan 08, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
SKC in talks to sell stake in PET film-making China unit
SKC Ltd. of South Korea’s SK Group is in negotiations to sell a stake in its polyester (PET) film unit in China, which it values at 150 billio...
Jan 07, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Artificial intelligence
LG takes over controlling stake in US TV data analysis firm Alphonso
South Korea’s LG Electronics Inc. has acquired a controlling stake in US-based TV data analysis startup Alphonso Inc. to strengthen its softwa...
Jan 07, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Hydrogen economy
SK Group inks $1.5 bn deal to acquire US hydrogen fuel cell maker Plug Power
South Korea’s SK Group has signed a $1.5 billion deal to acquire a controlling stake in US hydrogen fuel cell maker Plug Power Inc. and launch...
Jan 07, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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EV Batteries
SK Innovation to raise $920 mn for US battery plant expansion
South Korea-based SK Innovation Co. is ramping up investment for its US-based electric vehicle battery business, with plans to raise up to 1 tri...
Jan 07, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Korean Air wins shareholders' approval for Asiana deal
Korean Air Lines Co. will proceed with its planned $1.6 billion acquisition of Asiana Airlines Inc. after winning approval from a majority of its sh...
Jan 06, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Rubber business disposal
Japan’s JSR reaches out to Lotte, LG for sale of synthetic rubber business
Japan’s JSR Corp. is reaching out to Korean chemical companies to dispose of its synthetic rubber business and focus instead on semiconductor ...
Jan 06, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Artificial intelligence
Kakao Enterprise exceeds $920 mn in enterprise value
South Korea-based Kakao Enterprise has topped 1 trillion won ($921.5 million) in enterprise value, just a year after its inception in 2019, follow...
Jan 06, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Energy
Korea Resources seeks sale of Australia coal mine to slash debt
Korea Resources Corp. is planning to sell its 82.25% stake in a coal mine in Australia, as part of efforts to cut its debt totaling 6.7 trillion won...
Jan 06, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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ESG bonds
S.Korea's ESG bond issues could top $920 mn in Jan
South Korea's environmental, social and governance (ESG) bond market is seeing strong growth as companies are driven by institutional investors' inc...
Jan 06, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
NPS to veto Korean Air's acquisition of Asiana Airlines
The National Pension Service, the No. 2 shareholder of Korean Air Lines Co., will vote against the flag carrier’s plan to acquire Asiana Airli...
Jan 05, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
E-commerce giant eBay kicks off $4.6 bn sale of eBay Korea
E-commerce giant eBay Inc. has officially kicked off the sale process of eBay Korea Co., valued up to 5 trillion won ($4.6 billion), with its sa...
Jan 05, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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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)
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Rights offerings
Battery boom to drive POSCO Chem's $1.1 bn rights offering
South Korea-based POSCO Chemical Co. has begun preparations for its rights offering, to the delight of shareholders as the company’s share pri...
Jan 04, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Korean companies sit on record dry powder, may open M&A floodgates
South Korea’s major companies are sitting on a record amount of cash reserves, setting the foundation for the merger and acquisition (M&A)...
Jan 04, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
S.Korean unicorn companies line up for IPOs
Huge sums of money have been flowing into growth sectors globally, prompting South Korean unicorn companies, or non-listed companies with an enterpr...
Jan 04, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Samsung Elec draws attention with $92 bn in idle cash
Samsung Electronics Co., sitting on a cash pile of 100 trillion won ($92 billion), has been absent in global M&A markets over the past few years...
Dec 31, 2020 (Gmt+09:00)
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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)
1 Min read
Latest News
- 1 MBK-invested Homeplus looks for new owner as M&A emerges as option
- 2 Hyundai Steel to displace Baoshan as GM Korea's supplier
- 3 S.Korea’s No.1 dried seaweed firm Kwangcheonkim on market for $295 mn
- 4 BOK chief warns against aggressive policy rate cuts, sees need for fiscal stimulus
- 5 S.Korea eases path for foreign REITs in senior housing push