Kakao becomes 3rd most valuable company in Korea

Kakao Corp. is now the third most valuable company in Korea, after Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc.Kakao’s market cap on June 15 surp...

Korea’s F&B exports to surpass $4.5 billion in 2021

South Korea’s food and beverage (F&B) exports set a new record in 2020 and are projected to rise even higher this year. According to Korea...

Service marketplace Soomgo raises nearly $30 mn in Series C round

South Korea-based Brave Mobile Inc., the operator of service matching platform Soomgo, has secured 32 billion won ($28.6 million) in a Series C fund...

Shinsegae inches closer to eBay Korea purchase; deal remains elusive

Shinsegae Group has inched closer to a deal to acquire eBay Korea that would see the South Korean retail giant emerge as an e-ecommerce behemoth wit...

Failed M&As in Korea now draw excess of candidates with better outlook

South Korea’s M&A market is heating up as the outlook for the global economic recovery is becoming more comfortable this year.The M&A ...

Hana Financial partners with Line to launch digital bank in Indonesia

Naver Corp.’s Japan-based messaging app affiliate Line Corp. is rapidly expanding its digital banking business in Asian countries outside Kore...

Bank of Korea governor sends stronger signal to raise rates this year

South Korea’s central bank governor on Friday flagged a tighter monetary policy for the second time in less than a month, fueling expectations...

FastFive secures near $30 mn; pushes to become office solutions provider

South Korea's co-working space provider FastFive Co. announced on June 11 that it has raised 30 billion won ($27 million) from seven investors, brin...

Petroleum products rebound; Korea reaches all-time high April exports

Petroleum products become driving force behind South Korea's export market Exports of petroleum products turned positive this year, driving South K...

Shinsegae to raise $2 bn in secured loan for eBay Korea

South Korea's Shinsegae and Lotte groups, the two final contenders for eBay Korea, are hurrying to securitize their assets, even offering core real ...

Hyundai, SK, POSCO, Hyosung agree to launch Korea’s hydrogen council

Hyundai Motor Group and three other South Korean conglomerates have agreed to launch an industry-wide consultative body on hydrogen, underscoring an...

Hanon sale takes shape; Valeo, Mahle, LG among potential bidders

The much-touted sale of South Korea’s Hanon Systems Corp. is taking solid shape with names of potential bidders floating around in the market ...

UK lifestyle brand Barbour enters legal battle with 10-year partner in Korea

The recent decision by Barbour, the British lifestyle brand under J. Barbour & Sons Ltd., to transfer the rights to sell its products in South K...

Samsung SDI mulls EV battery JV in US; partnership with global automaker

Samsung SDI Co., one of South Korea’s top three electric vehicle battery makers, is considering launching a battery production joint venture i...

Korea’s bakery franchises target Southeast Asia for growth opportunities

South Korea’s two leading bakery franchise companies are expanding aggressively in Southeast Asia.SPC Group, the operator of Korea’s lar...

Korean telecom firms expand commercial use of quantum cryptography

The imminent advent of quantum computers is posing an online security risk. Quantum computers, unlike the binary computers in common use today, can ...

Behind Korea’s bizarre 'open run' race for Chanel bags

In South Korea today, running has become an increasing part of everyday life, particularly at a place where you would least expect to see a large gr...

LG Energy Solution applies for IPO seen to raise over $9 bn

LG Energy Solution Ltd. has begun the official process of South Korea’s largest-ever initial public offering that is expected to raise over 10...

Korea FoF manager widens offshore VC pool into UAE, Vietnam

The Korea Venture Investment Corp. (KVIC), a quasi-government agency established to support South Korean startups and venture capital industry, has ...

Lotte vs Shinsegae: eBay Korea becomes battleground for retail showdown

The tussle over the acquisition of eBay Korea is now down to two heavyweight contenders. South Korea’s retail titans Lotte Group and Shinsegae...

Kakao's fresh e-commerce strategy puts Naver, Coupang on guard

South Korea’s mobile platform Kakao Corp. is set to shake up the country's e-commerce market in the second half of the year with the launch of...

Chip shortage hits Korea’s COVID-19 diagnostic device manufacturers

The global chip shortage is impacting South Korea’s COVID-19 test device makers. They are paying up to 10 times the normal price of semiconduc...

Korea’s corporate HQ buildings are becoming clean power generators

ESG is one of the most frequently mentioned keywords in South Korea today. It stands for environmental, social and corporate governance, the three...

Korea's travel agency stocks overvalued, analysts say

The stock prices of South Korea’s two leading travel agencies, HanaTour Service Inc. and Modetour Network Inc., have skyrocketed in 2021 with ...

Madison Capital Funding raises $460 mn from Korea

A private debt fund managed by Madison Capital Funding, a US middle-market lender, has received a combined $460 million in commitments from seven So...

The harder the life, the better for Korea's Whanin Pharm

"When life gets too hard, this is the pharmaceutical company stock you must buy," advises the title of Hanwha Securities' recent research note on Wh...

Shopping app Ably raises another $55 mn

South Korea-based Ably Co., operator of the fashion app Ably, announced on Jun. 2 that it has raised 62 billion won ($55.7 million) in a Series B ex...

Chanel, Hermes, LV raise prices in Korea, but sales remain strong

Luxury brands are hiking up prices in South Korea. Designers such as Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Chanel have increased their prices in Korea this year...

Chips, autos set S.Korea’s May export growth at fastest pace in 32 years

South Korea’s exports surged to the highest level in over 32 years in May on the back of strong demand for semiconductors and automobiles, rei...

Samsung Bio plans to manufacture mRNA drug substance from 2022

Samsung Biologics will be entering the drug substance segment of the COVID-19 vaccine contract manufacturing business. According to industry sources...