Journalist

Soo-young Jang
  • South Korea unveils new guidelines to boost foreign investor entry into stock market
    South Korea unveils new guidelines to boost foreign investor entry into stock market SEOUL, November 27 (AJP) - South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) on Thursday unveiled new guidelines for foreign omnibus accounts, aiming to streamline market access for overseas investors and attract additional capital inflows. Omnibus accounts allow foreign institutions to trade and settle Korean equities without opening individual accounts for each client — a structure similar to how South Korean investors trade U.S. stocks. The country’s first such account was launched in August, eight years after the system was first introduced. The updated guidelines provide detailed procedures for account opening, allocation of shareholder rights, and mandatory reporting. They also establish internal control standards designed to prevent market abuse and money laundering by foreign financial investment firms. The FSC said the guidelines will be translated into English and distributed to market participants. A corresponding revision to financial investment business regulations — removing restrictions on which entities can open omnibus accounts — is expected to be completed in December. The regulatory overhaul will enable small and mid-sized foreign securities firms and asset managers, previously excluded unless granted special exemptions, to access the system. “We expect this to improve foreign investors’ access to the domestic stock market and stimulate capital market activity by attracting new investment funds,” the FSC said in a press release. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-27 14:04:10
  • Activist fund presses Stick Investment for succession plan, share buyback
    Activist fund presses Stick Investment for succession plan, share buyback SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - Activist fund Align Partners Capital Management has publicly urged private equity firm Stick Investment to disclose its leadership succession plan and carry out a share buyback. Align, which holds a 7.63 percent stake, released an open letter on Monday demanding that the company present a value-enhancement roadmap by Jan. 19. The fund argued that Stick Investment remains significantly undervalued, noting that its return on equity stood at just 0.3 percent in the 12 months through the third quarter, despite managing more than 10 trillion won in assets. Align said the company’s long operating history, industry networks and investment expertise — a set of “intangible assets” accumulated over 26 years — should support a higher valuation. Align called for internal reforms, including a clear succession plan and a revamped compensation structure. It proposed using half of Stick Investment’s treasury shares to offer stock-linked incentives to future leaders and to attract key talent, with the remaining shares to be canceled to reduce dilution. The activist fund also urged the firm to make greater use of leverage and pursue strategic investments to increase assets under management and expand earnings. It further requested a long-term growth strategy and improvements in board independence and expertise. Align criticized what it described as insufficient communication with shareholders, particularly regarding employee stock compensation involving 22.19 percent of treasury shares issued as restricted stock units. Align said it became a shareholder in February last year and has since held four private meetings and sent five letters to management without meaningful progress — prompting the move to a public campaign. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-24 14:45:38