South Korea
Mercer launches IM service in Korea
KOREA - Mercer has set up an investment management business in Korea to help local institutional investors take advantage of global market opportunities.
NPS injects $234m into Titleist consortium - reports
SOUTH KOREA - The National Pension Service is understood to be investing 250bn won ($234.3m) into a Korean-led consortium for its project to buy golfing equipment brand Titleist, according to reports.
Korean sovereign wealth fund adopts non cap-weighted indices
KOREA - The $37bn Korea Investment Corporation has chosen three FTSE non-capitalisation weighted indexing strategies making it the first Korean institutional investor to take this route, according to the FTSE Group.
Korean fund to buy stake in Brazil mining firm
SOUTH KOREA/JAPAN/BRAZIL - South Korea's National Pension Service and Posco, the world's third-biggest steelmaker, will buy a combined 15% stake in a Brazilian niobium producer with a group of Japanese companies.
Korea pension may form private equity fund for energy
SOUTH KOREA - National Pension Service, South Korea's biggest investor, may set up a private equity fund with businesses including Samsung and Hyundai, to invest in overseas resource development.
Korea fund buys US oil pipeline stake from Chevron
SOUTH KOREA/US - South Korea's National Pension Service said it has bought a stake in Colonial Pipeline Co, operator of the largest pipeline linking US Gulf Coast refiners and East Coast markets, to diversify its portfolio.
South Korea NPS hires Rockspring for European property
SOUTH KOREA/EUROPE - The National Pension Service of Korea has hired Rockspring Property Investment Managers to invest $400m in commercial property across Europe.
Korea No.1 fund to find voice in corporate governance
SOUTH KOREA - National Pension Service, South Korea's biggest investor, said its days as a passive investor are coming to an end and that it will begin raising its voice to improve corporate governance and the value of its shareholdings.
Korea Pension in talks to buy US oil pipeline stake
SOUTH KOREA - National Pension Service, South Korea's biggest investor, said it is in talks to buy into a US oil pipeline to diversify its portfolio.
Korean Pension Service confirms Paris property deal
KOREA/FRANCE - Hammerson has agreed to sell 51% of its interest in a Paris shopping centre to the National Pension Service of Korea (NPS) for €217m ($278m).
Korea pension to invest $300m in French mall
SOUTH KOREA/FRANCE - South Korea's National Pension Service said it plans to buy a 51% stake in a shopping mall near Paris for about 350bn won ($300m), adding to property investments in London and Berlin.
Korea Pension Fund to Boost Domestic Stock Weighting
KOREA - South Korea's National Pension Service plans to spend a net KRW6.9trn (US$5.6bn) boosting its domestic equity allocation next year, predicting gains as growth in the country outpaces the global economy.
G20 leaders urged to reform shareholder rights
GLOBAL - The International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN) called on G20 leaders gathered in Toronto at the weekend to strengthen shareholder rights in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.
BNY Mellon gets go-ahead for Korean discretionary management business
South Korea - BNY Mellon Asset Management is to offer discretionary management services in Korea after receiving approval from the country's Financial Services Commission.
Korea Pension gets investment approach for US oil pipeline
SOUTH KOREA - South Korea's National Pension Service, the nation's biggest investor, said an asset manager which is bidding for a US oil pipeline approached it about possible investment.
South Korean pension assets set to soar by year-end
SOUTH KOREA - Corporate pension assets in South Korea could nearly triple by the end of the year to KRW40trn (US$32bn) once new tax rules come into effect, Towers Watson estimates found.
South Korea pension fund takes stake in Gatwick
SOUTH KOREA/UK - The US private equity owner of Gatwick airport has confirmed that it will sell a 12% stake to South Korea's state pension fund.
Korea Pension Buys Sydney Building for A$685m
AUSTRALIA/SOUTH KOREA - South Korea's National Pension Service, the nation's biggest investor, bought an office building in Sydney for A$685m (US$626m) to diversify its investments as Australia's economy strengthens.
Investors oppose Korea's proposed poison pill
KOREA - Institutional investors with a combined US$2.5trn in assets under management have written Korea's Ministry of Justice asking it to refrain from introducing anti-takeover measures known as poison pills into its Commercial Code.
Korea NPS buys HSBC London headquarters
SOUTH KOREA/UK - South Korea's National Pension Service has agreed to buy HSBC Holdings' London headquarters for £772.5m (US$1.3bn) in cash.
Ex-CEO of Korea NPS joins Darby Overseas Investments board
SOUTH KOREA - Former president and chief executive of the South Korean National Pension Service (NPS) Ho Shik Kim has joined the board of Darby Overseas Investments, the private equity arm of Franklin Templeton Investments.
South Korean fund to sell treasuries
SOUTH KOREA - South Korea's National Pension Service has agreed to sell $1.1bn in US treasuries to the Bank of Korea, a central bank official said.
Blackstone Group to invest $2bn in South Korea
SOUTH KOREA - Blackstone Group LP, manager of the world's largest buyout fund, will invest US$2bn in South Korean companies, infrastructure projects and real estate, the Korean National Pension Service has said.
South Korea's pension fund buys shares
SOUTH KOREA - South Korea's National Pension Service, the nation's biggest investor, said it's buying stocks as the deepening credit crisis made equities cheaper.
