SK E&S eyes $30 billion corporate value as top hydrogen company

SK E&S Co., the natural gas business unit of SK Group, aims to turn into an eco-friendly company with an enterprise value of 35 trillion won ($3...

SK Group’s holding firm to absorb SK Materials in corporate restructuring

SK Inc., the investment and holding company of SK Group, will absorb SK Materials Co., the group’s industrial gas manufacturing affiliate, in ...

Korean unicorns winning talent war against global IBs

South Korean unicorn startups are soaking up talent from global investment banks (IBs) and brokerage houses. Junior and senior financial market spec...

Delta variant, rate hike views hurt Korean lower-rated corporate bond sales

South Korean companies with low credit ratings around BBB are suffering weaker demand in the primary market. A spread in the Delta coronavirus varia...

KT to raise $300 mn in dollar bond at record-low rates

KT Corp., a South Korea's telecom company, is set to raise $300 million in a dollar corporate bond at the lowest interest rate for its foreign curre...

Celltrion, Samsung Bioepis anticipate increased biosimilar sales in Europe

South Korean biosimilar companies such as Celltrion Inc. and Samsung Bioepis Co. are likely to see their sales hike by tens of millions of dollars...

KOGAS, Hyundai Motor Turkish unit issue foreign currency bonds at narrower spreads

Korea Gas Corp. (KOGAS) and Hyundai Motor Co.’s Turkish unit sold foreign currency corporate bonds at narrower spreads than their initial targ...

Korean corporate bonds suffer from cooling investor sentiment

South Korean corporate bond markets are set to suffer from shrinking liquidity as institutional investors are turning cautious and refraining from m...

Cigna seeks to enter Korea's digital non-life insurance market

The US insurance group Cigna looks set to become the first foreign insurer on South Korea's digital non-life insurance platform, with an aim to crac...

Coupang fire may cut ROI of warehouse assets

Last week’s devastating fire at a Coupang distribution center, which reportedly burned down more than 16 million items for delivery, is expect...

Kakao enters insurance sector for synergy with its online platforms

Kakao Corp.’s ambition to become an insurer is gradually becoming a reality. The platform giant’s application to start an insurance busi...

Korean insurers finance Carlyle's $2 bn deal with ESG debt

South Korean life insurers have made an environmental, social and governance (ESG)-themed investment in The Carlyle Group's €2 billion ($2.4 bi...

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...

National health insurance to cover dental startup AIOBIO’s QLF device

AIOBIO’s dental diagnostic devices will be covered by South Korea’s national health insurance from June 1. AIOBIO is the country’s...

Hahn & Co. acquires controlling stake in Namyang Dairy Products

South Korea’s private equity (PE) firm Hahn & Co. has acquired a controlling 53% stake in Namyang Dairy Products, acquiring all shares own...

SK Telecom to retire $2.3 bn treasury shares amid corporate split-off

South Korea’s largest mobile carrier SK Telecom Co. said on Tuesday it will retire 8.69 million treasury shares worth 2.6 trillion won ($2.3 b...

Corporate storytelling: S.Korean firms' next growth key

South Korea’s major companies are increasingly adopting corporate storytelling as a means of rebranding their identities.As the companies enjo...

Korean insurers may write down $1.1 bn in global alternatives

South Korea’s 36 insurance companies have invested a combined 70 trillion won ($63 billion) in overseas alternative investments as of the end ...

Korea Post names new CIOs of savings, insurance arms

Korea Post has appointed new chief investments officers of both its savings and insurance units, in an internal reshuffle of senior managers at the ...

ESG becomes name of the game on Korean corporate boards

South Korea’s big companies, such as Samsung, Hyundai and LG, are increasingly embracing environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards ...

Seoul to offer $3 bn credit insurance on Saudi's megaprojects

Korea Trade Insurance Corp. (K-Sure) has agreed to provide $3 billion in trade credit insurance to Saudi Arabia to help South Korean companies win o...

[ASK2020] Evolution of corporate credit markets and how this recession is different than the GFC

PIMCO is one of the world’s premier investment managers. Since our launch in 1971 in Newport Beach, California, PIMCO has grown to 17 offi...

Korean insurers, Shinhan Alternative commit $130 mn in KKR CMBS fund

South Korea's insurers along with Shinhan Alternative Investment Management Inc. have committed $130 million in the real estate stabilized credit (RES...

Korea’s ESG corporate bond issues on course to top $5 bn in 2020

South Korean companies’ issues of environmental, social and governance (ESG) bonds have almost doubled to 5.7 trillion won ($4.9 billion) so far...

Socius-Well to Sea consortium to buy Doosan Corporation Mottrol for $381 mn

Doosan Group is selling its hydraulic components manufacturing arm to a consortium of two local private equity investment firms -- Socius Advisors and...

Lotte Corp's corporate bond issue raises staggering $665 mn in demand

South Korean conglomerate Lotte Corporation saw overwhelming demand of 790 billion won ($665 million) from institutional investors on the issuing of c...

Corporate bankruptcy filings hit all-time high in Korea amid global pandemic

Corporate bankruptcy cases in July posted a historic high with 103 filings, mirroring the global impact of the pandemic and its heavy blow to Sou...

Insurance giant AXA seeks buyers for a 100% stake in Korean AXA General

AXA, a French multinational insurance group, is keen to sell a 100% stake in its South Korean operation, AXA General Insurance Co., according to indus...

Lotte Corp to include ESG bonds in $126.5 mn corporate bond offering in September

Lotte Corporation is set to become the first South Korean holding company to issue environmental, social, and governance (ESG) bonds, according to inv...

Foreign insurers’ Korean units likely up for sale on tougher rules, falling profits

Following in the footsteps of Prudential Financial Inc., foreign insurance companies are expected to put their Korean units up for sale to meet tighte...