Korea / Special Situations, Clepsydra Capital

Sanghyun Park

Korea / Special Situations

Korea / Special Sits, Pairs, Index Rebalancing

Clepsydra Capital

Investigate special situations, pairs, and index rebalancing trades in Korea.

Event-Driven

Wonik IPS Co., Ltd. manufactures and sells semiconductor processing equipments.  The Company's main businesses include Semiconductor, Display and Solar industries.

<ul>
<li>Fresh intel hit at lunch. Official rollout is penciled for the 11th or 12th, sourced straight from a key gov’t operator and pushed to Hankyung.</li>
<li>The package basically boils down to two levers: juiced tax perks for retail in Kosdaq venture funds and a structural bump-up in pension-fund allocation.</li>
<li>Street sees this as constructive: tax tweaks to pull retail, pension weight-ups to juice flows, and focus on 300bn+ Kosdaq names that beat Q3 consensus 10%+.</li>
</ul>


Fresh intel hit at lunch. Official rollout is penciled for the 11th or 12th, sourced straight from a key gov’t operator and pushed to Hankyung.
The package basically boils down to two levers: juiced tax perks for retail in Kosdaq venture funds and a structural bump-up in pension-fund allocation.
Street sees this as constructive: tax tweaks to pull retail, pension weight-ups to juice flows, and focus on 300bn+ Kosdaq names that beat Q3 consensus 10%+.


Fresh Intel: Kosdaq Stimulus Drop Date & Key Targets

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Douglas Research Advisory

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>Korean government is likely to increase the mandatory tender offer from current 50% + 1 share requirement (minimum majority stake) to much higher levels (but below the maximum 100% requirement).</li>
<li>There is an increasing probability that indeed the Korean government is likely to increase the minimum majority stake requirement to 60% to 75% of total shares in 1H26. </li>
<li>If the minimum maximum stake rises to 60%-75% of outstanding shares, this would have a further beneficial impact on the minority shareholders.</li>
</ul>


Korean government is likely to increase the mandatory tender offer from current 50% + 1 share requirement (minimum majority stake) to much higher levels (but below the maximum 100% requirement).
There is an increasing probability that indeed the Korean government is likely to increase the minimum majority stake requirement to 60% to 75% of total shares in 1H26. 
If the minimum maximum stake rises to 60%-75% of outstanding shares, this would have a further beneficial impact on the minority shareholders.


Likely Increase In Mandatory Tender Offer from the Current 50% + 1 Share Requirement

<ul>
<li>On 28 November, the Korean National Assembly reached an agreement on a tax reform plan to officially lower taxes on dividends income. </li>
<li>The decline in tax on dividends is a definite step in the right direction. Nonetheless, the top bracket dividend tax rate cut was slightly less than what market was expecting. </li>
<li>Given that about 15%-25% dividend tax rates are more common in other developed countries,  Korea's reduction of dividend taxes is likely to be welcomed highly by many global investors.</li>
</ul>


On 28 November, the Korean National Assembly reached an agreement on a tax reform plan to officially lower taxes on dividends income. 
The decline in tax on dividends is a definite step in the right direction. Nonetheless, the top bracket dividend tax rate cut was slightly less than what market was expecting. 
Given that about 15%-25% dividend tax rates are more common in other developed countries,  Korea's reduction of dividend taxes is likely to be welcomed highly by many global investors.


Top Bracket Dividend Tax Rate Lowered to 30% in Korea [Moderately Positive]

<ul>
<li>On 27 November, the Korean Financial Services Commission (FSC) finally announced that it has completely abolished the restrictions on the foreigners opening integrated accounts to trade Korean stocks.</li>
<li>This amendment will start to take effect on 2 January 2026.</li>
<li><em><strong>What this means is that major global trading platforms such as IBKR will most likely be allowed to trade Korean stocks without any major restrictions sometime starting 1H 2026. </strong></em></li>
</ul>


On 27 November, the Korean Financial Services Commission (FSC) finally announced that it has completely abolished the restrictions on the foreigners opening integrated accounts to trade Korean stocks.
This amendment will start to take effect on 2 January 2026.
What this means is that major global trading platforms such as IBKR will most likely be allowed to trade Korean stocks without any major restrictions sometime starting 1H 2026. 


Foreigners Integrated Accounts Starting in January 2026: Impact on IBKR & Foreign Trading Platforms

<ul>
<li>It was reported that the Chinese government advised its citizens to refrain from traveling to Japan, which is likely to positively benefit the Korea in-bound tourism related stocks.</li>
<li>If the political tensions between China and Japan are not quickly resolved but continues to last, this would have further negative impact on the Japanese consumer/tourism/leisure related companies. </li>
<li>On the flip side, this could have a positive impact on the Korean consumer/tourism/leisure related companies such as Lotte Tour Development, Hotel Shilla, and Paradise. </li>
</ul>


It was reported that the Chinese government advised its citizens to refrain from traveling to Japan, which is likely to positively benefit the Korea in-bound tourism related stocks.
If the political tensions between China and Japan are not quickly resolved but continues to last, this would have further negative impact on the Japanese consumer/tourism/leisure related companies. 
On the flip side, this could have a positive impact on the Korean consumer/tourism/leisure related companies such as Lotte Tour Development, Hotel Shilla, and Paradise. 


China Advices Its Citizens to Refrain from Traveling to Japan - Beneficial Impact on Korea Tourism

Impact of reforms on South Korea Companies

South Korea Value-Up
Impact of reforms on South Korea Companies

Fresh Intel: Kosdaq Stimulus Drop Date & Key Targets

Fresh intel just in on the government’s Kosdaq stimulus drop date, with a first look at the main target basket likely to catch flows.

Sanghyun Park

Top Bracket Dividend Tax Rate Lowered to 30% in Korea [Moderately Positive]

On 28 November, the Korean National Assembly reached an agreement on a tax reform plan to officially lower taxes on dividends income.

Douglas Kim

Foreigners Integrated Accounts Starting in January 2026: Impact on IBKR & Foreign Trading Platforms

FSC abolished restrictions on foreigners opening integrated accounts to trade Korean stocks, effective January 2, 2026. IBKR/others are expected to...

Douglas Kim

China Advices Its Citizens to Refrain from Traveling to Japan - Beneficial Impact on Korea Tourism

Chinese government advising against travel to Japan could boost Korean tourism stocks, while prolonged tensions could harm Japanese companies.

Douglas Kim

Fresh Intel: Kosdaq Stimulus Drop Date & Key Targets

Fresh intel just in on the government’s Kosdaq stimulus drop date, with a first look at the main target basket likely to catch flows.

Sanghyun Park

Likely Increase In Mandatory Tender Offer from the Current 50% + 1 Share Requirement

Korean government is likely to increase the mandatory tender offer from current 50% + 1 share requirement (minimum majority stake) to much higher...

Douglas Kim

Top Bracket Dividend Tax Rate Lowered to 30% in Korea [Moderately Positive]

On 28 November, the Korean National Assembly reached an agreement on a tax reform plan to officially lower taxes on dividends income.

Douglas Kim

Foreigners Integrated Accounts Starting in January 2026: Impact on IBKR & Foreign Trading Platforms

FSC abolished restrictions on foreigners opening integrated accounts to trade Korean stocks, effective January 2, 2026. IBKR/others are expected to...

Douglas Kim

China Advices Its Citizens to Refrain from Traveling to Japan - Beneficial Impact on Korea Tourism

​Chinese government advising against travel to Japan could boost Korean tourism stocks, while prolonged tensions could harm Japanese companies.

Douglas Kim

Chinese government advising against travel to Japan could boost Korean tourism stocks, while prolonged tensions could harm Japanese companies.