Articles by Son Ji-hyoung
Son Ji-hyoung
consnow@heraldcorp.com-
Glenwood PE signs W608b deal to acquire SKC Kolon PI
South Korea’s investment house Glenwood Private Equity has inked a deal to buy a controlling stake in the world’s leading polyimide film maker SKC Kolon PI for 608 billion won ($523.2 million) from its two major stakeholders, according to regulatory filings on Tuesday. The purchase price of a 54.07 percent stake in SKC Kolon PI has shrunk from earlier market estimates of some 700 billion won. The transaction is poised to take place by Feb. 28. SKC Kolon PI is a joint venture of Korea
Market Dec. 24, 2019
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Hyundai Investments partners with La Francaise to create European office-focused fund
Seoul-based Hyundai Investments said Tuesday it has joined hands with French investment house La Francaise to create a blind pool fund that focuses on small and midsized office buildings in Western Europe. The new fund seeks 8 percent internal rate of return through a 10-year investment, according to Hyundai Investments. The Korean vehicle did not disclose the fund’s volume and its limited partners committed to the fund. The fund will target core-plus commercial buildings in key citie
Market Dec. 24, 2019
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IMM PE to invest W134.7b to become HanaTour’s top shareholder
Seoul-based private equity house IMM Private Equity will become the largest shareholder of HanaTour Service, in a capital increase by South Korea’s No. 1 travel agency, HanaTour said on Monday. IMM PE will buy HanaTour’s newly issued 2.3 million common shares, or 16.7 percent of the outstanding shares, for 134.7 billion won ($115.8 million) -- with a 16.3 percent premium to its market price -- according to HanaTour’s disclosure. The funding will be raised from IMM PE&rsquo
Market Dec. 24, 2019
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Naver-backed VC names head of Startup Alliance as new co-chief
South Korea’s internet giant Naver-backed venture capital TBT said Tuesday it has named Startup Alliance Managing Director Lim Jung-wook as the new co-chief of the investment vehicle. Lim will take office in March, when his term at Startup Alliance expires.He is serving his seventh year as the head of the nonprofit organization, dedicated to startup ecosystem advocacy and community building. Formerly a career journalist, Lim served as the head of web portal operator Lycos and global b
Market Dec. 24, 2019
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KTB backs acquisition of logistics facility in Ireland
Seoul-based KTB Investment & Securities and KTB Asset Management have backed a 160 million euros ($177.2 million) acquisition of Tesco’s Distribution Center in Dublin, Ireland, by DTZ Investors, its adviser Cushman & Wakefield said Monday.It was the largest single-asset logistics transaction in Ireland by volume. The 73,000 square meter-wide warehouse is a logistics facility for dry goods distribution to some 150 Tesco stores across Ireland within three hours. KTB partnered w
Market Dec. 23, 2019
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ATU Partners to acquire DragonX through esports-focused fund
Private equity house ATU Partners said Monday that it had signed a deal to buy a controlling stake in South Korean professional esports team DRX through its esports-focused fund worth 20.2 billion won ($17.4 million).The terms of the deal involving the League of Legends team, rebranded from Kingzone Dragon X, remain undisclosed. Alongside the deal, ATU Partners also reached an agreement to buy an undisclosed stake in esports agency Azyt. The fund is backed by limited partners including Kaka
Market Dec. 23, 2019
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Telecoms get conditional approval for M&As
The Fair Trade Commission said Friday that it has conditionally approved two separate merger and acquisition deals, one led by SK Telecom and the other by LG Uplus, reshaping the local pay TV industry as it is already undergoing a major transformation toward digital services.The decision clears regulatory hurdles for a 4.7 trillion won ($4 billion) merger between SKT’s internet protocol TV service arm SK Broadband with t-broad, the country’s No. 2 cable TV multiple system operator, a
Technology Nov. 10, 2019
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[Herald Interview] Twinny to challenge global robotics heavyweights
In the global race for automation in logistics, unmanned mobile robots are playing an important role, largely with the assistance of an underlying system that varies from QR codes on the floor to beacon sensors on walls and wearable devices.South Korean startup Twinny is one company that is moving the other way by weaning its mobile robotic solutions off the system. By becoming independent, its robots can precisely locate themselves, detect a human to follow and execute the order-picking process
Technology Oct. 16, 2019
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[Herald Interview] Local mindset behind global market clout: Schneider CEO
SINGAPORE -- Roughly 30 percent of France-based Schneider Electric’s revenue came from the Asia-Pacific region in 2018. Another 30 percent came from North America and Western Europe, respectively, with the portfolio ranging from voltage distribution products to solutions for automation, energy storage and smart building infrastructure.Behind the firm’s global clout is its ability to make use of local resources and meet local demands, a quality that is also playing out in South Korea,
Industry Sept. 22, 2019
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[Herald Interview] Once labor-intensive, shipbuilders in race for digital transformation
SINGAPORE -- Traditional methods for cost efficiency in the labor-intensive field of shipbuilding and marine engineering will give way to digital solutions that are already quietly permeating the industry, Craig Hayman, CEO of UK industrial software developer Aveva, said in a recent interview with The Investor.“Shipbuilding firms are now focused on reducing labor (costs) associated with the construction and the number of hours put into designing them,” Hayman said, adding that South
Technology Sept. 19, 2019
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Aveva to upgrade integrated industrial software in digital push
SINGAPORE -- UK-based industrial software developer Aveva said Tuesday it plans to introduce its newly integrated industrial software by November in its digital push to streamline large-scale projects.The news comes amid the UK company’s push for software integration following its merger with French multinational firm Schneider Electric’s industrial software business in March 2018. Since the merger, Aveva has strived to bring together its design, engineering and construction capaciti
Technology Sept. 17, 2019
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How can startups solve Seoul’s urban problem with AI, IoT?
South Korean capital Seoul is one of the most tech-savvy cities in the world, and this has allowed the startup community here to brim with solutions to tackle its problems.For startups honing their tech capacity, ranging from ultrafine dust management to household waste treatment and fire prevention, the forthcoming tech event hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Start-Up Seoul: Tech-Rise 2019, could be a chance to gain access to venture investors and corporate representatives.As part of
Technology Sept. 1, 2019
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Seoul aims to be global innovation launchpad, prepares to host 3-day tech event
South Korea’s capital city plans to host a tech event Sept. 4-6 in a bid to redefine itself as an innovation launchpad for foreign entrepreneurs, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday. “Start-Up Seoul: Tech-Rise 2019” will feature keynote speeches and panel sessions by global startup ecosystem experts, as well as a pitching competition, a demo day and seminars. These will take place at four locations in the city, including Dongdaemun Design Plaza and the Seoul Startup
Technology Aug. 27, 2019
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[Herald Interview] Whynot Media CEO talks about origin, appeal of web dramas
The rise of YouTube in Korea poses a dilemma for content houses.The platform lowers the entry barrier for producers, spurring competition and interest, but also allows hobbyists to vie with professional productions."We are living in an era where a 9-year-old kid can generate and distribute online content and make a business out of it,” Lee Min-seok, co-founder and CEO of web content production startup Whynot Media, said in an interview with The Investor.“The question is what con
Technology Aug. 5, 2019
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Expressway plans spark safety concerns for Namiseom tourist boats
People living and doing business on Namiseom, a popular tourist site in Gangwon Province, are voicing doubts about plans to build a new expressway to mitigate heavy traffic between Seoul and Chuncheon, the second-largest city in the province by population.Their main concern is that tourist boats could crash due to a new bridge that would be constructed over the Bukhan River, a Han River tributary that runs through both North and South Korea, then westward to the Yellow Sea. The bridge would cut
Social Affairs July 14, 2019
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