March 07, 2021

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EDITOR'S PICKS

• Markets 
  

  SK Group expected to launch REIT this month

  　South Korean conglomerate SK Group will set up a company to run a real estate investment trust, or REIT, this month, according to reports March 4. 　A REIT owns or finances real estate property to generate income, and allows investors to partially own valuable real estate and receive dividends. 　SK Holdings, the holding company of SK Group, is expected to obtain approval to establish the REIT later this month. After setting up a new subsidiary as early as this month, it will likely launch a RE

• Markets 
  

  Digital therapeutics developer LifeSemantics eyes March IPO

  　South Korean digital health platform developer LifeSemantics said March 4 it is ready to go public to raise up to 12.5 billion won ($11.11 million) worth of fresh funds. 　The firm plans to make a market debut on the nation’s tech-heavy Kosdaq market at the end of this month. 　Founded in 2012, LifeSemantics has focused on its business on health information and technology and artificial intelligence-powered programs. Its main platform “LifeRecord” provides MyData, digital ther

• Markets 
  

  Coupang ready to go public

  　E-commerce giant Coupang’s initial public offering plan has been picking up momentum as the offering price of the company’s shares will be determined next week. 　The New York Stock Exchange announced March 2 (local time) that the expected pricing date for the e-commerce firm’s IPO will be set on March 10. When the offering price is decided as scheduled, Coupang will likely start being traded publicly on the US stock market from March 11. 　Hours before the NYSE announcement,

• Markets 
  

  KDB commits $126m financing to satellite project

  　South Korea’s state-run lender Korea Development Bank said March 3 that it had agreed on a $126 million commitment to finance an artificial satellite project in Indonesia. 　KDB is the first Korean lender to finance a space satellite project. 　The bank’s funding is part of the latest batch of a $431 million project financing to the digital infrastructure project called Satellite of Republic of Indonesia (Satria). KDB joins lenders HSBC, Banco Santander and Asia Infrastructure Inv

• Markets 
  

  [EXCLUSIVE] Coupang’s IPO rumored to take place on March 10

  　　Expectations on the listing of South Korean e-commerce firm Coupang have been rising as the company’s initial public offering, which will be the fourth largest of an Asian firm on the New York Stock Exchange, is just around the corner. 　Although the Korean firm based in Seoul has not yet announced the exact IPO date, it is said to have decided to list its shares next week, a source familiar with the matter told The Korea Herald. 　“The listing date has been set for March 10,&rdqu

• Markets 
  

  SK hynix shares hit new high on chip shortage

  The share price of South Korean semiconductors manufacturer SK hynix hit an all-time high during intraday trading Tuesday in hopes of a first-quarter earnings surprise due to global chip shortage. At around 9:10 a.m. Tuesday, SK hynix‘s stock price touched 150,500 won ($134), up 5.3 percent from the Friday session’s closing price, bringing its total market capitalization to nearly 110 trillion won. The closing price Tuesday was 144,500 won, up 2.1 percent from Friday and 57 percent

• Markets 
  

  Korean REITs’ AUM rises 26% to W65tr

  　The combined assets under management by South Korea’s real estate investment trusts came to 65.3 trillion won ($58 billion) as of end-January, preliminary data showed Feb. 28. 　The total volume rose 26 percent from the previous year, indicating a moderately growing market, according to the Korea Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts. 　A REIT refers to a company designed to offer annual dividend returns to its investors in return for investment in securitized real estate. 　By as

• Markets 
  

  Pension funds extend stock selling streak to 42nd straight session

  　South Korean pension funds logged a record-long selling spree of local stocks, extending net selloffs to a 42nd consecutive session. 　While the unloading trend extended during a recent market correction period, experts predict their selling will likely to continue at least until June this year. 　The combined net sales of the pension funds came to 12.98 trillion won ($11.57 billion) so far this year. In February, they sold a net 4.58 trillion won -- 4.32 trillion won on the main bourse Kospi