[THE INVESTOR] KB Asset Management announced on Oct. 18 that it will jointly invest US$30 million in senior loans to Canadian mine developers with three homegrown institutional investors. KB Asset Management will create the fund and its Canadian counterpart Sprott, with a specialty in natural resources investing, will manage the portfolio. This is the first time a South Korean investor is financing overseas mining. The investment period is five years and the expected annual rate of return is 8 percent. By Hwang You-mee (glamazon@heraldcorp.com)