Korean unicorns jump fivefold in four years with record investment in 2021

Investment in South Korean startups hit an all-time high in 2021 as the number of new unicorns, unlisted companies with a valuation topping $1 billi...

Korea’s DL Energy to expand US power plant business

South Korea’s DL Energy is set to expand its power plant business in the US.DL Energy, formerly known as Daelim Energy, said on Dec. 17 that i...

SK to co-invest $50 mn in US-based Fulcrum BioEnergy

South Korea's SK Inc. on Thursday said it would co-invest $50 million in the US-based Fulcrum BioEnergy with a domestic private equity fund, in a bi...

Credit Suisse promotes two MDs in Seoul

Credit Suisse Group AG has appointed two South Koreans as new managing directors (MD) for its Seoul office. Shim Jong-min and Kim Sei-won were promo...

Dunamu, Naver Z invest $8.5 mn in metaverse firm Persona Space

Persona Space, a subsidiary of South Korean metaverse company Galaxy Corp., said on Dec. 16 it has attracted 10 billion won ($8.5 million) investm...

POBA, CalSTRS invest $40 mn in California multifamily assets

South Korea’s pension fund Public Officials Benefit Association (POBA) and US retirement fund The California State Teachers’ Retiremen...

SK Gas invests in Bill Gates-backed hydrogen tech startup

SK Gas Co., the top liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) company in South Korea, has invested in Series B funding for C-Zero Inc., a California-based start...

Brokerages rush to outsourced fund management market

South Korea's brokerage companies are jumping into the outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) market, outmaneuvering asset management firms, as ...

Former KIC real estate head to serve as ADQ's chief investment officer

Cha Hoon, the former head of real estate investment at Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) is moving to Abu Dhabi’s state holding firm Abu Dhab...

Partners Group attracts Korea Post and local insurers to PE funds

Some major South Korean institutional investors have committed to Switzerland-headquartered global asset manager Partners Group's Secondary 2020 Fun...

Krafton enters metaverse space with investment in Naver’s Zepeto

Krafton Inc., one of South Korea’s major game developers, is entering the metaverse space by investing 5 billion won ($4.2 million) in Zepeto,...

Korea’s reopening stocks jump on easing Omicron woes

South Korea’s reopening stocks surged on Dec. 3 as US President Joe Biden’s plans to curb the Omicron variant of COVID-19 exclude lockdo...

KTB Asset invests $51 mn in Norwegian shipowner Knutsen

South Korea’s KTB Asset Management Co. and Hanwha Investment & Securities Co. have jointly invested 60 billion won ($50.7 mililion) in s...

Cosmetics brands shift to video influencers from celebrities

 As influencers on YouTube and social media platforms are becoming central to the marketing efforts of companies, South Korean cosmetics brands...

Metaverse emerges as promising yet uncertain new world for investors

Virtual realms known as the metaverse that have become the hot topic for tech companies also are winning a new fan base among investors.SoftBank Gro...

Mirae Asset joins $260 mn funding for food delivery startup Jokr

Mirae Asset Global Investment Co., South Korea’s leading asset manager, has participated in a $260 million Series B funding for Jokr, a New ...

Korea Venture Investment creates global fund worth $2 billion

Korea’s government-backed fund of funds (FOF) management institution announced its latest selection of funds late last month, which would bene...

GS Retail invests $55 mn in Kakao Mobility to boost online presence

GS Retail Co. is investing 65 billion won ($55 million) in Kakao Mobility Corp., South Korea's No.1 taxi-hailing app, adding to its recent series of...

Korea's biggest fund to invest $5.8 million in overseas VCs

Korea Venture Investment Corp. plans to invest $58.2 million or about 69 billion won in 10 funds around the globe. The government-backed fund o...

NPS picks Hillhouse Capital for private equity investment in Q3

South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS) selected private equity giant Hillhouse Capital Group in the third quarter of this year for its...

Korea Post selects Ardian, Hamilton Lane for $100 mn co-investment

Korea Post’s savings arm has selected French private equity firm Ardian SA and US alternative investment manager Hamilton Lane Advisors LLC ...

Polar Asset joins NPS' hedge fund managers in Q3

National Pension Service (NPS) of South Korea selected Toronto-based Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. as a new mandate of hedge fund managers in t...

SK’s holding firm completes merger with materials arm

SK Inc., the investment and holding company of South Korea’s conglomerate SK Group, completed the merger with SK Materials Co. with aim to exp...

STIC invests $843 mn in Korean copper foil maker Iljin

South Korean private equity firm STIC Investments Inc. said on Nov. 30 it will invest 1.1 trillion won ($843.1 million) to expand Korean elecfoil ...

SK Square to invest $75 mn in Korea crypto exchange

South Korea’s SK Square, an investment firm spun off from SK Telecom Co., will buy a stake in a local cryptocurrency exchange to expand its po...

Doosan aims to raise $1.3 bn in rights offering

Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co., South Korean conglomerate Doosan Group’s subsidiary, agreed to raise 1.5 trillion won ($1.3 ...

Homegrown VCs turn to Korean American startups in search of unicorns

Korean venture capital firms are ramping up their investments in Korean American-owned startups in the United States, mostly in Silicon Valley.The aim...

KIC sees 11 alternative investment managers resign by November

Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) saw as many as 10 professionals of its alternative investment division resign from the South Korean sovereign wea...

SEMA to increase Asia-based infra assets, CIO says

Korea Scientists and Engineers Mutual-Aid Association (SEMA), one of the fastest-growing retirement pension fund in South Korea, will increase inf...

Hanwha Solutions invests $100 mn in US energy startup Lancium

South Korea’s Hanwha Solutions Corp. has invested in a US data center energy management startup as part of its new business model to embrace t...