Homeplus bond probe closes in on MBK leadership

Prosecutors on Monday summoned MBK Partners Vice Chairman and Homeplus co-CEO Kim Kwang-il, stepping up their investigation into the private equity firm’s alleged role in the retailer’s financial crisis. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office questioned Kim as a suspect over alleged fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes and violations of the Capital Markets Act. It was his second appearance before prosecutors, following his first questioning Friday.

2026-07-27 15:52:22:00

How will Chey Tae-won pay his W944b divorce bill?

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won's nearly 1 trillion won ($685 million) divorce case has shifted investor attention to SK Group shares as markets assess how he will finance the record settlement while maintaining his grip on the energy-to-chip conglomerate. The Seoul High Court on Friday ordered Chey to pay 944 billion won to his former wife Roh Soh-yeong in the country's largest-ever divorce settlement, ending a yearslong legal battle. With the order stating the settlement to be paid in cash rath

2026-07-26 14:49:04:00

Chip boom lifts Korea's income growth to 38-year high

South Korea's economy extended its growth in the second quarter, weathering oil price volatility sparked by conflict in the Middle East, as robust chip exports fueled the expansion. According to preliminary data released by the Bank of Korea on Thursday, the country's real gross domestic product — a key gauge of economic growth — expanded 0.6 percent in the April-June period from the previous quarter, following a revised growth of 1.8 percent in the first months of this year. "Although (gross d

2026-07-23 14:49:54:00

Mirae Asset boosts Korbit stake to over 97%

Mirae Asset Consulting, an affiliate of Mirae Asset Financial Group that oversees the group's hotel and golf course businesses, is set to boost its planned ownership of cryptocurrency exchange Korbit to 97 percent from 92 percent. According to a revised regulatory filing on Tuesday, Mirae Asset Consulting is set to purchase an additional 1.59 million Korbit shares for 7.89 billion won ($5.32 million). The transaction follows a decision by a corporate shareholder to sell its remaining stake in Ko

2026-07-22 14:36:51:00

BlackRock expands bets on Korea's KAI, EcoPro

BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, has increased its stakes in Korea Aerospace Industries and battery materials maker EcoPro to more than 5 percent, becoming a major shareholder in both companies. The US asset manager now holds a 5.02 percent stake in KAI and a 5.01 percent stake in EcoPro, according to regulatory filings Tuesday. BlackRock had gradually accumulated shares in both companies over time. Its previous holdings stood at 4.95 percent in each company, and the latest purchase

2026-07-21 15:51:18:00

MBK faces fresh scrutiny over Osstem Implant restructuring

Following the Homeplus debacle, MBK Partners has come under fresh scrutiny over restructuring efforts at its portfolio company Osstem Implant, the country's largest dental manufacturer. Osstem Implant has reportedly been carrying out a de facto restructuring under which some employees are relieved of their existing duties and required to find new positions within the company on their own. Those who fail to secure a new role are reportedly placed on waiting-for-reassignment status until another p

2026-07-20 15:14:11:00

해외 부동산 부실 속 커지는 워크아웃 시장…"위기 넘어 기회로"

최근 해외 부동산 부실 자산이 잇따라 발생하면서 워크아웃 역량의 중요성이 커지고 있다. 국내 기관투자가들이 투자금 회수를 위한 파트너를 찾는 가운데, 테일윈드 리얼에스테이트 파트너스(Tailwind Real Estate Partners)는 미국 워크아웃 절차에 대한 전문성과 경험을 바탕으로 차별화된 역할을 강조하고 있다. 코로나19 팬데믹 이전 국내 기관투자가들은 해외 부동산 투자 비중을 적극적으로 확대했다. 특히 뉴욕 맨해튼의 트로피 오피스 자산 등 미국 내 핵심 부동산을 사들이며 해외 부동산 시장에 진출했다. 하지만 글로벌 긴축 기조와 재택근무 확산 추세로 높아진 오피스 공실률에 국내 금융사들이 집중 투자한 자산들이 직격탄을 맞았다. 이러한 배경 속에서 테일윈드는 부동산 워크아웃 전문 자문사로서 투자자들이 구조조정을 통해 부실 자산 문제를 해결할 수 있도록 지원하고 있다. 오종윤 공동대표는 15일 서울 여의도 사무실에서 코리아헤럴드와 가진 인터뷰에서 "저희의 역할은 자문하는 한국

2026-07-19 15:37:14:00

'Recovery, not liquidation': How Tailwind navigates US real estate workouts

As South Korean institutional investors grapple with a wave of distressed overseas real estate assets, the need for specialized workout capabilities has become increasingly important, according to Tailwind Real Estate Partners. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, local institutional investors aggressively expanded their overseas real estate exposure, snapping up high-profile properties in the US, such as trophy office assets in Manhattan. The sharp rise in interest rates and structural changes in the

2026-07-19 14:57:41:00

Leveraged chip ETFs lure W7tr in 1 month despite chip rout

Single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds tracking the country's top chipmakers drew more than 7 trillion won ($4.73 billion) in net inflows over the past month, even as the underlying shares tumbled amid a semiconductor selloff. Sixteen single-stock leveraged ETFs tracking Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, including two inverse products, attracted a combined 7.34 trillion won in net inflows between June 16 and Wednesday, according to the Korea Exchange on Friday. The Kodex SK hynix Single St

2026-07-17 14:16:09:00

What Mirae Asset's Korbit acquisition means for Korea

Mirae Asset Financial Group’s acquisition of local cryptocurrency exchange Korbit marks the first takeover of a digital asset exchange by a financial group in South Korea. The move signals regulators' growing willingness to allow traditional financial groups to expand into digital assets. Earlier this month, the country's antitrust watchdog approved Mirae Asset Consulting's acquisition of a 92.06 percent stake in Korbit. The unit is the de facto holding company of the brokerage-led financial gro

2026-07-17 11:39:12:00