[더인베스터(코리아헤럴드)=박가영기자] 중국 M&A의 큰 손 푸싱그룹 (Fosun Group)이 국내 시중은행 한 곳의 중국지점 지분 획득에 관심을 보이고 있는 것으로 알려졌다. 　베이징주재 한 업계관계자는 11일 더인베스터에 “푸싱그룹이 올 상반기 한 국내 은행에 합작 제안을 했으며 해당 은행 역시 이를 검토 중”이라고 밝혔다. 　푸싱그룹 궈광창회장그는 해당 은행을 구체적으로 밝힐 수는 없다면서도 국민은행, 우리은행, 신한은행 등 소위 '빅3' 중 한 곳이 유력하다고 덧붙였다. 　푸싱그룹은 1992년 궈광창 회장과 4명의 대학동기가 설립한 회사로 컨설팅회사로 시작해 현재 제약, 보험, 부동산 등을 아우르는 대기업으로 성장했다. 최근에는 프랑스의 리조트체인 클럽메드와 푸르투갈 보험사 카이사 세구로스 등을 인수하는 등 적극적인 M&A를 펼치고 있다. 　국내에서도 2014년 현대증권과 KDB생명, 2016년 ING생명 등의 인수전에 뛰어들었으나 번번히 실패했다. 　업계에서는 푸싱이 한국

중국의 수도 북경의 한 롯데마트 상점, 화요일 저녁. 　북경에 오랫동안 거주한 외국인이 찍은 비디오를 보면, 평소대로라면 붐벼야 할 롯데마트가 텅텅 비어있다. 　“고객 수 보다 헬멧쓰고 바통을 든 보안요원들 수가 더 많았다”고 말한 익명을 요구한 외국인은 지금의 상황이 “몇년 전 반일 감정이 고조되었던 상황을 떠올리게 한다,” 고 덧붙였다. 　썰렁한 롯데마트안에 직원들은 유니폼 대신 일반 사복을 입고 있었으며, 롯데마트 입구에는 에서 팔에 안장을 한 자원봉사자들이 열 명 정도 서있었다고 상황을 전했다. 　자원봉사자들이 어떤 목적으로 롯데마트입구를 지키고 있는지 알 수는 없지만, 폭력 등과 같은 만약의 사태를 대비해 있는 것으로 보인다고 외국인은 말했다. 북경에 거주중인 30대 사무직에서 일하는 중국인 천 밍씨는 상황이 생각보다 심각한 거 같긴 하지만, 심한 폭력사태는 일어나지 않고 있다며, “사람들이 한국화장품가게에 가서 소동을 피운다고 들었다“고 전했다. 천씨는 정부에서 이제 냉정

Moon Jae-in speaks during the launching ceremony of a regional forum in the southeastern city of Daegu on Feb. 11, 2017. (Yonhap) Moon Jae-in, the current frontrunner in the race for the presidency, will this week register his candidacy for his party's primaries, an aide said Sunday.Moon, a former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, will sign up for the primaries through his spokesman Rep. Kim Kyung-soo at 11 a.m. Monday, the aide said on the condition of anonymity. A formal declarat

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde on Sunday voiced optimism for US economic growth under President Donald Trump but warned it could herald trouble for the rest of the world."From the little we know, and I will insist on the little we know, because this is really work in progress... but from the little we hear, we have reasons to be optimistic about economic growth in the United States," Lagarde said at the annual World Government Summit in Dubai. International Monetary Fund (IM

The South Korean economy has been facing heightened internal and external uncertainties on par with those in 2011, when the world was hit hard by the European fiscal crisis, a report said Sunday."Along with the local political turmoil, South Korea will likely struggle with intensified uncertainties that may surpass the 2011 level, stemming from the murky policies of the new US government and growing trade disputes," said the report by the Hyundai Research Institute. (123RF)The HRI-invented uncer

GANGNEUNG, South Korea  -- The top international skating official on Sunday kept mum on Russia's participation in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, with the country still under investigation for state-sponsored doping.Jan Dijkema, president of the International Skating Union (ISU), said the decision will be up to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which has set up two commissions to investigate Russian doping. It was in response to a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-commissioned repor

A group of South Korean tourists in Paris were robbed of their train tickets and one passport in what appeared to be a case linked to the recent unrest over alleged police brutality, officials said Sunday.Some 40 Korean tourists were on a bus to their hotel around 9 p.m. Saturday (local time) when three or four black men boarded the bus and fled with the tourists' Eurostar tickets and the passport of the group's Korean tour guide, according to officials at the South Korean Embassy in Paris.The m

UK will have 'control over borders' after Brexit: PMPrime Minister Theresa May on Sunday insisted that Britain will have "control over our borders" after Brexit, suggesting she would be prepared to quit Europe's trading zone to achieve it."The referendum vote was a vote for us to... bring control into our immigration system. I'm clear that is part of what we need to deliver," she told Sky News in an interview."We will be able to have control over our borders, of our laws."German leader Angela Me

Pope Francis encouraged women attending a ceremony in the Sistine Chapel on Sunday to feel free to breastfeed their children in the church."The ceremony is a little long, someone's crying because he's hungry. That's the way it is," the pontiff said."You mothers, go ahead and breastfeed, without fear. Just like the Virgin Mary nursed Jesus," he told worshippers attending an annual ceremony commemorating the baptism of Jesus.The Argentine pope on Sunday baptised 28 children -- 15 boys and 13 girls

A suicide bomber targeted Baghdad's main vegetable market Sunday, killing at least 12 people in the latest attack claimed by the Islamic State group as Iraqi forces battle the jihadists for Mosul.Iraqi forces have pushed IS out of much of the territory it once held, but this bombing and the many others that have preceded it highlight the danger the jihadists can pose to civilians even as they lose ground."A soldier at the gate of Jamila market opened fire on a suicide car bomb after noticing a s

The US fast food chain Dairy Queen has signed on to expand into South Korea, industry officials said Thursday. M2G USA Investment said it has signed an agreement with International Dairy Queen Inc., which owns the franchise, to open 50 DQ Grill & Chill stores here over the next five years.International Dairy Queen is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway led by famous investor Warren Buffet. Dairy Queen, commonly known as DQ, is a chain of fast food restaurants serving hamburgers, ice cream and oth

Diplomatic tensions have slowed the growth of Chinese tourists to South Korea, the national tourism promotion agency here said Thursday.According to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), the number of Chinese tourists to South Korea increased 1.8 percent year-on-year in November.The KTO explained tensions stemming from Seoul's decision in July to set up the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system, much to the chagrin of Beijing, have had adverse effects on tourism.South Korea

North Korea on Thursday threatened war in response to the latest sanctions by the U.N. Security Council (UNSC). "The latest UNSC 'resolution on sanctions' has created the danger of imminent war on the Korean Peninsula, as there are no judicial and institutional mechanisms to avert a war and armed conflicts and the 'resolution' is as good as a declaration of war," the North's foreign ministry said in an English-language statement released on the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)."The U.

South Korean football has ended the year ranked No. 37 in the world. South Korea remained at the same spot as the previous month in the latest FIFA rankings announced Thursday.Iran topped all Asian Football Confederation (AFC) members at No. 29, followed by South Korea, Japan (No. 45), Australia (No. 47) and Saudi Arabia (No. 54).South Korea will resume their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign on March 23 against China. South Korea are currently ranked second behind Iran in Group A of the f

South Korea's foreign ministry said Thursday it will soon initiate the process of confiscating the passport of the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, the long-time friend of President Park Geun-hye who faces charges for meddling in state affairs. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to swiftly issue an order for the return of Chung Yoo-ra's passport, and if it is not returned before a deadline, it will take steps to annul it," ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck said in a press briefing.According to the

Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Thursday called for tightened discipline among officials in the wake of a sexual harassment case involving a South Korean diplomat in Chile.The diplomat has been accused of sexually harassing two teenage girls in the Latin American country. The case, which sparked public fury in both countries, came to light as a Chilean broadcaster recently aired its hidden camera coverage of him making improper physical contact with a teen."I call on each mi

 The son of the popular actor Song Kang-ho joined a South Korean professional football club Thursday.Suwon Samsung Bluewings in the top-flight K League Classic said they drafted right fullback Song Jun-pyung out of Yonsei University.The 20-year-old previously played on Maetan High School based in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, some 45 kilometers south of Seoul.In this photo provided by Suwon Samsung Bluewings football club, Song Jun-pyung (top row, second from R), son of the popular actor Song Kang-h

South Korea plans to sell 7.3 trillion won ($6.1 billion) worth of state bonds next month, the finance ministry said Thursday. The government will issue 1.75 trillion won worth of bonds with a maturity of three years and 1.65 trillion won worth of five-year bonds.It also plans to sell 1.95 trillion won worth 10-year Treasurys and a combined 1.95 trillion won of bonds with a maturity of between 20 and 30 years.The ministry added that it sold 4.64 trillion won worth of Treasurys in December.Earlie

A photo of a coffee bar in Pyongyang carried by Chosun Sinbo, a pro-North Korean newspaper published in Japan. (Yonhap)North Koreans in the capital city of Pyongyang are three times as rich as those in other areas, South Korea's state-run think tank said Thursday, in the latest sign of the deepening economic divide in the communist country.Pyongyang's per capita gross domestic product is estimated to be at between $2,658 and $2,715 as of 2008, compared with a range of $791 and $1,213 in the Sout

A ferry incident off the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula that caused more than 300 deaths will be made into a feature film, industry sources said Sunday.The movie, tentatively titled "Sea Tiger," will be based on a novel written by Kim Tak-hwan about divers who were involved in the2014 rescue operations on the doomed ferry Sewol.Kim wrote the book based on the testimony of late diver Kim Kwan-hong, who committed suicide while suffering from the mental and physical after effects of the int