[THE INVESTOR] Local blue chip investors including the National Pension Service, Kyobo Life and Mirae Asset Group are considering buying minority stake in Woori Bank as the government is once again pursuing its privatization. Among them, Kyobo Life is reportedly seeking consultation from M&A advisors amid rumors that the insurer is out to buy a 4-8 percent stake in Woori Bank, according to investment bank sources on Sept. 5.The state-run Korea Deposit Insurance Corp. -- the largest shareholder o

[THE INVESTOR] Daishin Securities forecast Hanwha Techwin’s operating profit in the third quarter will jump 101 percent on-year to 48 billion won (US$42.93 million). “Hanwha Techwin is likely to show exponential growth in the third quarter, with operating profit growing more than 100 percent. As a result, the firm’s per annum sales are expected to increase 33 percent on-year, while operating profit swings to the black,” the brokerage said in a report on Sept. 6.“A weaker dollar may take a toll i

[THE INVESTOR] Hanwha Life Insurance is considering acquiring a stake in Woori Bank, according to the life insurer on Sept. 2.“We are considering submitting a bid,” the firm said through its representatives. A final decision is expected to be reached at a Sept. 22 board meeting. Sources said the life insurer may decide to take up a 4 percent stake in the bank, which would be worth around 293 billion won (US$262 million) based on the Sept. 1 closing price of 10,850 won for Woori Bank shares.The s

[THE INVESTOR] Metro Tower, the former headquarters of GS Engineering & Construction, has been put on the selling block.Metro Tower -- wholly owned by US-based investment advisory firm Angelo, Gordon & Co. -- has chosen Samjung KPMG as the lead manager, according to real estate sources on Sept.2.Angelo, Gordon & Co. has also put up its Digitial Dream Tower, located in northern Seoul, for sale. Metro TowerMetro Tower is located in Jung-gu, downtown Seoul. Its spans a total of 39,908 square meters

[THE INVESTOR]  Korea’s leading dairy maker Maeil Dairies Industry is mulling a bid for acquiring McDonald’s Korea, according to industry sources on Sept. 1.Maeil would be up against Korean food CJ Group and a consortium formed between NHN Entertainment and KG Group. But Maeil declined to confirm, saying “the matter has not been decided yet.”The biggest stumbling block for the firm is the acquisition price, which is estimated to exceed 500 billion won (US$446.50 million). Maeil, contrary to mark

[THE INVESTOR] Korea Post is awaiting final approval from its internal board to close a deal for acquiring the Paris headquarters of investment bank Natixis for W230 billion won (US$20.5 million), it announced on Sept. 1.“Korea Post have been selected as a preferred bidder, but we are waiting for final approval from our internal deliberation board,” said Kim Sun-gang, a spokesperson for Korea Post. The Paris complex is owned by Natixis, which will sign a 10-year lease contract with the new owner

[THE INVESTOR] The Korean Teachers’ Pension has selected Crescent Capital Group to manage its blind-pool mezzanine fund. The initial investment amount will be US$100 million, according to the pension organizers on Aug.31. The fund will target medium-risk and medium-returns by investing mainly in subordinate corporate funds. Its focus region will be North America.So far this year, the Teachers’ Pension has invested around US$400 million in real estate, the said mezzanine fund and other alternativ

[THE INVESTOR] Seoul Semiconductor is likely to pick up in the latter half of the year on improving light-emitting diode market conditions, according to Kiwoom Securities. “The LED market will grow focused on demand from lighting and vehicle headlamps and rise an annual 26 percent by 2020,” the brokerage said in a stock report on Aug. 31.Consequently, Seoul Semiconductor’s third quarter sales will reach 275.3 billion won (US$244.96), with operating profit hitting 18.7 billion won.The report come

[THE INVESTOR] The Financial Supervisory Service, the nation’s financial regulator, has begun a probe into allegations that Mirae Asset Securities engaged in irregular activity while selling asset-backed securities based on its Landmark 72 building in Vietnam. The FSS said on Aug.30 said it is looking into whether Mirae Asset issued the securities per regulations.“We began investigations following reports from both the media and parliament,” said one FSS official declining to be identified.Mirae

[THE INVESTOR] A total of 365 circular investment links were eliminated over the past 1 1/2 years among Korea’s 52 largest industrial groups that are restricted from making inter-affiliate investments. As of Aug. 26, eight Korean industrial groups were operating 94 circular investment links, which was down by 365, or 80 percent, from the 459 at 11 industrial groups as of early 2015, according to local conglomerate tracker CEO Score on Aug.31.To eliminate them all, 11.31 trillion won (US$100.63 m

[THE INVESTOR]  Mirae Asset Securites on Aug.30 forecast SK hynix’s operating profit to grow 11 percent on-year in the third quarter based on stable DRAM supplies. “SK hynix’s third-quarter operating profit is expected to reach 503.7 billion won (US$446.93 million) after rising 11 percent on a downturn in DRAM supply growth,” Mirae Asset said. Falling supplies, coupled with steady demand, is fueling earnings for chipmakers. In 2017, industry trackers predict DRAM demand to grow 23 percent compar

[THE INVESTOR] Pfizer’s Hospira unit and Napp Pharmaceuticals broke a number of rules while covering the promotion of Korean-made biosimilar medicines, namely Celltrion’s Remsima, according to a UK publication devoted to medical issues. Bio-pharma Reporter noted that the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority said Napp, an associate of Mundipharma International, made “unacceptable payments” to doctors who attended a meeting at which Remsima -- a Remicade biosimilar Hospira licenses fr

[THE INVESTOR] TOKYO -- Korea and Japan are planning to soon begin talks for reinstating a currency swap that was suspended last year due to a lack of demand stemming from frayed mutual ties.“We suggested talks for discussing the currency swap deal, and Japan agreed,” said Korea’s Deputy Prime Minister Yoo Il-ho who doubles as finance minister, after meeting his Japanese counterpart Aso Taro on Aug.27. The decision was also outlined in a statement the two countries released following the meeting

[THE INVESTOR]  Daishin Securities on Aug.29 forecast Hotel Shilla’s third-quarter operating profit will rise 1,072 percent compared to the same period last year, to 34.1 billion won (US$3.02 million). Stabilizing margins, coupled with the rising deficit of Hotel Shilla’s competitors, are some of the driving factors behind the growth, the brokerage said. It added that if Hotel Shilla manages to open another duty-free shop this year when the Korea Customs Service issues new permits, it also would

[THE INVESTOR] South Korean share prices are expected to stay rangebound next week as investors wait for key economic indicators from major economies such as the US and China, analysts said on Aug.27.US nonfarm payroll figures for August are due out on Sept.2, while China’s official and Caixin PMI data will be released on Sept.1.“Investors are cautious as they wait for key data, such as the US employment data, as better-than-expected figures may trigger concerns over a US rate hike in September,

[THE INVESTOR] Members of the Hyundai Motor union have voted down a tentative wage-hike agreement, forcing a renegotiation, according to the union on Aug.27.Out of 45,777 unionized members who participated in the Aug.26 vote, 78 percent were against the accord, it said. This is the first time since 2008 that the members rejected the provisionally agreed annual pay deal. Hyundai Motor unionzed members on strike.Earlier this week, the company management and union leaders struck a deal to raise the

[THE INVESTOR] Whether investors have access to a viable exit solution in Hyundai Card will become a critical issue in GE Capital‘s plans to sell its 43 percent share in the Korean credit card firm.GE is currently looking to sign a deal by September. Potential bidders, such as Pacific Alliance Group, Affinity Equity Partners and H&Q Asia Pacific Korea have launched individual due diligences into Hyundai Card. The bidders -- as they are all financial investors -- are reportedly pondering due to a

[THE INVESTOR] Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has been ordered by a court here to compensate Koreans who were forced labor under Japanese colonial rule in the early 1900s. The Seoul Central Court on Aug.25 ruled for Mitsubishi to pay 90 million won (US$ 80,600) in damages to each of the 14 plaintiffs who sued the Japanese company. The plaintiffs say they had been forced into labor at Mitsubishi’s plant in Hiroshima in September 1944. They returned to Korea in August the following year after

[THE INVESTOR] TOKYO -- South Korea and Japan appeared to be unlikely to discuss restarting a currency swap at the upcoming finance ministers’ meeting, according to Korean government sources.“The currency swap agreement is not on the agenda for the seventh Korea-Japan finance ministers’ meeting to be held in Seoul on Aug. 27,” said Hwang Kun-il, head of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance’s international policy division, on Aug.25. The remark followed comments from Japanese Finance Minister Tar

[THE INVESTOR] Hyosung Group -- led by Chairman Cho Seok-rae -- has suspended operations of a plant producing polyketone, an eco-friendly thermoplastic material that the Korean company was the first to develop and commercialize. The main reason is the lack of demand, according to industry sources on Aug. 24.“Demand is low, and our inventory is overflowing. We will consider whether to restart the plant in the third or fourth quarters,” said one Hyosung employee on the condition of anonymity.  Hyo