South Korea
Hahn & Co. buys Korean cement firm out of bankruptcy
One of the standout PE investment trends in Korea is taking ownership of assets from second-tier conglomerates that have run into difficulty and are forced to divest non-core assets. MBK Partners acquired Kumho Rent-A-Car in this fashion and it was also...
FX hedging: Know your risk
Private equity firms are hedging the currency risk of their investments in Asia Pacific longer and later in the investment cycle than ever before
Korean government plans another attempt at Woori sale
The South Korean government will make another attempt to divest its stake in Woori Finance Holding, setting a July 27 deadline for preliminary bids. Prospective buyers must bid for at least 30% of Woori, which means the deal would be worth at least KRW2.9...
Korea’s Tstone agrees partnership with Newsweek
South Korea’s Tstone Corp. has entered into a partnership with Newsweek to develop the magazine’s business in Asia. This will involve expanding the existing Asian edition of Newsweek across the digital, broadcast and events space.
Creating cross border opportunities
Venture capital and private equity has always played an important role in the transfer of technology, talent and brands names from developed Western markets into Asia. This is perhaps best illustrated by the spate of “me-too” companies that mimicked...
Carlyle in mix for $1.8b Kyobo Life stake
The Carlyle Group appears to be one of several private equity firms vying for a $1.8 billion stake in South Korea’s Kyobo Life Insurance.
CDIB secures over 3x through WeMade exit
CDIB Capital, the overseas investment arm of China Development Financial Holding Corporation, has exited 80% of its investment in Korean online game developer WeMade Entertainment, realizing a money multiple in excess of 3x.
MBK, Affinity runs for Korea Woongjin Coway stake – report
MBK Partners and Affinity Equity Partners are among the potential bidders for a minority stake in Korean water purifier company Woongjin Coway.
Tencent backs Korean mobile messager Kakao
Tencent has teamed up Korean online games developer Wemade Entertainment to invest KRW92 billion ($80 million) in Kakoo Talk, a popular Korean mobile messaging application.
Former STIC executive becomes CIO at KIC
Don Lee Dong-ik, former head of investments at PE firm STIC Investments, has been named CIO of Korea Investment Corp. (KIC), the country’s sovereign wealth fund. The first Korean national to get the job, Lee told AVCJ that the appointment is a huge...
STIC sees 3.6x return on golf simulator deal
Young-Chan Kim went to the US in the 1990s to work for Samsung Electronics. He returned to South Korea with a business idea that has brought golf to the masses. Twelve years since its inception, Golfzon is the world’s leading golf simulation company,...
Korea Life makes final bid for Vogo’s stake in Tong Yang Life
Korea Life Insurance has submitted a final bid for Vogo Investment’s controlling stake in Tong Yang Life Insurance. Vogo is seeking to exit 60.7% of its 64% interest in the business in order to capitalize on the scarcity value of a controlling stake...
KNOC backs Apollo-led purchase of US oil assets
Korea National Oil Corp. (KNOC) will join a consortium led by Apollo Global Management that has agreed to buy US-based El Paso’s oil and gas exploration business for $7.15 billion. The assets are being sold by Kinder Morgan as part of its $21 billion...
SCM opens office in Seoul
Swiss institutional investment advisor SCM Strategic Capital Management, which offers private equity fund-of-funds and advisory services, is expanding its footprint in Asia by opening a new office in Seoul.
South Korea’s Hi-Mart attracts interest from Tesco – report
Hi-Mart, the South Korean electronics retailer that Affinity Equity Partners exited in 2008, is about to change hands once again, with UK retailer Tesco tipped to bid for the asset. Several South Korean retailers are also said to be interested, as are...
Korea’s LP problem
Both the GP and LP bases in South Korea are relatively narrow. Once fund managers have more to show for themselves in terms of track records, it will be easier to distinguish wheat from chaff
Goldman Sachs exits Hana in $331m sell down
Goldman Sachs has exited the remainder of its stake in South Korea's Hana Financial Group through a public market sell down worth $331 million.
Lone Star wins approval for KEB sale
Embattled buyout firm Lone Star has finally gained approval from the necessary parties for the sale of its 51% stake in Korea Exchange Bank to Hana Financial Group.
Vogo expects strong returns on full exit from Tong Yang Life - Update
Vogo Investment expects to see an IRR of at least 20% on its initial investment in Tong Yang Life Insurance as negotiations with potential strategic buyers near a close. The private equity firm is seeking to exit 60.7% of its 64% stake in the business...
US PE firm Yucapia exits South Korea’s IHQ
Yucapia Global PEF, a US private equity fund held by supermarket conglomerate owner Ronald Burkle, has exited almost its entire stake in IHQ, one of South Korea’s major entertainment stocks. It is unlikely to have generated a significant return on the...
Another KEB backer looks to divest stake
The Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM) is looking to sell its 6.25% stake in Korea Exchange Bank, coming as embattled buyout fund Lone Star is set to offload its 51% majority stake in the company to Hana Financial Group.
KDB investment unit takes stake in US gas company
A private equity investment fund owned by Korea Development Bank (KDB) has paid $200 million for the gas business of US-based Apache Corp., an oil and gas specialist.
Prudential, Woori in mix for Tong Yang stake - report
Trade players including US-based insurance major Prudential Financial and Korean financing services firm Woori Finance Holdings are reportedly considering bids for South Korea's Tong Yang Life Insurance, which is 60.7%-owned by Vogo Fund.
Standard Chartered injects $30m in Ecoplast - report
Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE) has boosted Ecoplast Technologies, the world’s second largest manufacturer of starch-based bioplastics, with a $30 million cash injection.