BOK ratchets up warning over asset price bubble, private debt
The recent asset price rises in South Korea, in particular in the equities and real estate markets, have been too rapid, even considering an expecte...
Singapore emerges as new financial hub for S.Korean banks
South Korea’s major banks are rushing to Singapore as the city-state is emerging as a new financial hub in Southeast Asia, replacing the tradi...
Naver, techfins poised to spark Korean loan market's Big Bang
South Korea's online giant Naver Corp. is preparing to join a government-initiated fintech platform, on which individual borrowers can directly sear...
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...
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 ...
Toss Bank to compete with K Bank, Kakao Bank from September
Toss Bank in September will enter the race of internet-only banks in South Korea as the third player, competing against K Bank and Kakao Bank. Toss ...
KDB bets big on fintech platform Toss ahead of 2023 IPO
The Korea Development Bank (KDB) has decided to invest 80 billion won ($72 million) in the fintech startup Toss via a rights offering. This marks th...
Mirae, NH face lawsuit over Drew Las Vegas loan loss
Mirae Asset Securities Co. and NH Investment & Securities Co. have been sued by South Korean institutional investors over the loss of their comb...
Bank of Korea governor flags rate hike as economy improves
South Korea’s central bank governor on Thursday flagged a possible policy rate hike before the end of the year as the domestic economy recover...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
Korean LPs to sue Mirae, NH over Las Vegas loan loss
South Korean institutional investors in the Drew Las Vegas development are preparing to file a lawsuit against two domestic brokerage firms, seeking...
Heavy household borrowing fans Korea’s asset market overheating
South Korea’s asset market is showing signs of overheating as households take out fresh loans at a record pace to invest in initial share sale...
CalSTRS, POBA launch $600 mn US property loan JV
The California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) and South Korea's Public Officials Benefit Association (POBA) have launched a $600 ...
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...
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...
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...
Meritz Sec faces losses from $350 mn loan on NY condo
South Korea's Meritz Securities Co. is at high risk of incurring losses from its $350 million lending on a luxury condominium tower in Manhattan, Ne...
Meritz arranges $60 mn mezzanine loans on LA skyscraper
South Korea's Meritz Alternative Investment Management Co. has arranged 72 billion won, or slightly over $60 million, worth of mezzanine financing f...
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...
Korean investors face $270 mn loss on Las Vegas hotel loans
South Korean investors in the Drew Las Vegas development project are at higher risk of losing their investment of 300 billion won ($271 million) in ...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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 ...
