South Korea

ESR Cayman, a warehouse construction firm and lessor, is planning to list a real estate investment trust (Reit) in South Korea later this year, according to a source close to the transaction.

Industrial Bank of Korea bagged $500m from a social bond on Monday, with the proceeds pegged to help companies struggling because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

SK Biopharmaceuticals has begun bookbuilding for its up to W959.3bn ($804.9m) IPO. It is set to be South Korea’s first listing in 2020.

Korea Electric Power Corp (Kepco) returned to the green bond market on Monday, raising $500m on the back of a book that was 10 times oversubscribed.

A trio of double-A rated SSA names from South Korea, Central America and France tapped the Swiss franc market this week, raising a combined Sfr550m ($575.8m) and paving the way for other similar issuers to follow.

Online casino gaming company DoubleDown Interactive is planning a Nasdaq IPO, the first by a South Korean company in nearly a decade.

South Korean firm Big Hit Entertainment, manager of popular K-pop boy band BTS, has applied for a preliminary review of its IPO with the Korea Exchange.

Korea Development Bank raised $1bn from a new bond on Wednesday, marking its third dollar transaction of the year.

A private equity investor has raised W344bn ($278.6m) from selling shares in South Korean company Celltrion Healthcare, said a source familiar with the matter.

A quartet of SSAs borrowed a combined A$940m ($613.4m) into the Kangaroo market this week, spurring the SSA Aussie dollar market on to its best monthly volume in over nine months.

SK Biopharmaceuticals is set to reopen the South Korean IPO market with a W959.3bn ($779.9m) listing, according to a source close to the deal.

Korea East-West Power Co (EWP) offered no new issue concession for its $500m bond on Monday, but still drew orders of close to $4bn. Its notes only tightened further in the secondary market, showing investors’ support for quality borrowers.