Korea’s M&A market heats up with record deals in first half

South Korea’s merger and acquisition market is heating up as both big conglomerates and promising startups seek to buy out businesses with gro...

KT&G expands global foothold with 4,700 e-cigarette IP rights

The world’s fifth-largest tobacco maker KT&G Corporation is rapidly widening the global reach of its e-cigarette products, which have beco...

Korea’s leading e-book startups eye IPO in 2022

South Korea’s leading e-book platforms are targeting to go public next year. The country’s subscription-based e-book service provider Mi...

Synopsys buys S.Korean fab data tech company

Synopsys Inc., a US software developer, has signed an agreement to acquire full ownership of BISTel, South Korea's top-ranked smart manufacturing so...

Korea’s super-rich: How their wealth ballooned during the pandemic

In South Korea, just like any other major economies, the stock market has been a mine of gold even for small investors, who enjoyed hefty gains from...

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...

Art auction sales in Korea soar to highest point since 2008 financial crisis

South Korea’s art market is facing the biggest boom since the global financial crisis, drawing wealthy investors and art enthusiasts alike. Se...

DB HiTek in quandary over foundry ramp-up amid chip supercycle

DB HiTek Co., one of South Korea’s leading foundry chipmakers, is enjoying the current market boom, which is forcing makers of cars and electr...

LX Group’s Pantos to enter e-commerce market with fulfillment service

Pantos Co., the logistics unit of South Korea’s newly established LX Group, is entering the global e-commerce market by launching a worldwide ...

Short-selling ban keeps Korea from MSCI’s developed-markets index

South Korea is unlikely to obtain the global index provider MSCI’s developed-market status this year with the Korean government’s decisi...

Hyundai Santa Cruz to challenge Ford Maverick in US pickup market

Hyundai Motor Co.’s upcoming Santa Cruz pickup is challenging US truck giant Ford Motor Co.'s Maverick even before the South Korean automaker&...

Tencent-backed Krafton's mega IPO seen as overvalued

South Korea-based game publisher Krafton Inc.'s highly-anticipated initial public offering is raising concerns that it may be overvalued. The compan...

LG Energy supplies batteries to world’s largest Vistra ESS project

South Korea’s LG Energy Solution Ltd. is supplying batteries to the world’s largest energy storage system (ESS) project operated by US p...

Hyundai, Kia outrival Japanese carmakers in India, other emerging markets

India, one of the world’s fastest-growing auto markets, has for decades been dominated by Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corp., which runs Maruti ...

Secondary PE deals headed for record year: Pomona Capital

Secondary private equity deals have been the fastest-growing segment of the private equity market for several years and this year, they could exceed...

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...

Samsung Electronics to market wearable robot for healthcare by year-end

Samsung Electronics Co. will commercialize a wearable robot for healthcare by the end of this year as the South Korean tech giant is delving into th...

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...

Hyundai Motor, Kia overtake Ford in US auto sales in May

Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp., the two automaking units of South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group, in May sold more cars in the US than Ford Moto...

Samsung unveils low-end 5G phone to rival China’s cheap models

Samsung Electronics Co. on Friday launched a low-end 5G smartphone in overseas markets amid intensified price competition initiated by Chinese mobil...

Kakao just behind rival Naver in market cap, may overtake soon

South Korean mobile platform giant Kakao Corp.’s enterprise value is rising backed by its strong business performance, threatening to overtake...

Naver to gain toehold in OTT market via CJ ENM

South Korea's Naver Corp. is expanding its footprint into the over-the-top (OTT) media service market by acquiring a stake in CJ ENM Co.'s OTT platf...

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...

Samsung loses ground in foundry market as TSMC ties in with Japanese firms

Samsung Electronics Co., which is losing share of the global foundry market, has come under increased pressure from its bigger rival Taiwan Semicond...

Market Kurly raises another $200 mn at a $2 bn valuation

The valuation of Kurly Inc. has now surpassed 2 trillion won ($1.8 billion).  The operator of South Korea’s online grocery and gourmet fo...

Heavy cost pressure set to drive up car prices

South Korea’s automakers are facing a drastic increase in manufacturing costs. Raw material prices are soaring and the global chip shortage re...

K-pop content platforms team up to take lead in community market

Platform operators targeting global K-pop fans are mired in fierce competition as companies team up to vie for the lead in the fan community platfor...

Samsung Display to expand small OLED line with $2.7 bn investment

Samsung Display Co., South Korea’s largest display maker, plans to spend as much as 3 trillion won ($2.7 billion) to build a new organic light...

Survival of the richest: Coupang corners Baemin

South Korea's e-commerce giant Coupang Corp. is ready to take over the food delivery market via aggressive investments -- a move that is pressuring ...

Long-term transformation in public markets: ValueAct

On May 12th ValueAct Partner, CEO, and Chief Investment Officer G. Mason Morfit appeared at the ASK Global Conference 2021 hosted by The Korea Econo...