Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>According to a local media outlet called ETNews, CJ ENM is considering on selling about half of its stake in Netmarble to potentially acquire the controlling stake in S.M. Entertainment.</li>
<li>Although CJ ENM is the lead candidate to acquire SM Entertainment, other contenders including Kakao Corp and Naver are not totally out of the M&amp;A race. </li>
<li>Overall, we would wait on buying CJ ENM at current levels. We think that the market is still concerned about CJ ENM overpaying for SM Entertainment.</li>
</ul>


According to a local media outlet called ETNews, CJ ENM is considering on selling about half of its stake in Netmarble to potentially acquire the controlling stake in S.M. Entertainment.
Although CJ ENM is the lead candidate to acquire SM Entertainment, other contenders including Kakao Corp and Naver are not totally out of the M&amp;A race. 
Overall, we would wait on buying CJ ENM at current levels. We think that the market is still concerned about CJ ENM overpaying for SM Entertainment.


CJ ENM: Potential Block Sale of Its Stake In Netmarble & Concerns About Corporate Reorganization

<ul>
<li>2021 has been a leapfrog year in terms of both major outbound and inbound M&amp;As in Korea.</li>
<li>Two of the biggest M&amp;A deals in 2021 include SK Hynix's acquisition of Intel's flash NAND and SSD business and Emart's purchase of Ebay Korea for $3 billion. </li>
<li>Some of the largest M&amp;A deals which could get completed in 2022 include Hanon Systems, Bodyfriend, Modern House, Hyundai LNG Shipping, and EMK.  </li>
</ul>


2021 has been a leapfrog year in terms of both major outbound and inbound M&amp;As in Korea.
Two of the biggest M&amp;A deals in 2021 include SK Hynix's acquisition of Intel's flash NAND and SSD business and Emart's purchase of Ebay Korea for $3 billion. 
Some of the largest M&amp;A deals which could get completed in 2022 include Hanon Systems, Bodyfriend, Modern House, Hyundai LNG Shipping, and EMK.  


Korea M&A Recap in 2021 - A Leapfrog Year

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

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In this insight, we provide 8 examples of how metaverse is revolutionizing numerous businesses in Korea. We also provide a list of Korean companies that are actively trying to expand their metaverse businesses. Because metaverse is in the initial stages of growth for many of these businesses, their contributions to their companies' sales and profits may not be meaningful right now. However, they are experiencing a significant popularity. Metaverse is certainly one of the key industry trends that is likely to have a multi-years impact on the companies mentioned in this insight.
The term "metaverse" was first coined by the writer Neal Stephenson in his 1992 science fiction novel <a href="https://digiday.com/marketing/wtf-is-the-metaverse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Snow Crash </a>where metaverse refers to a popular virtual world where the main characters are equipped with augmented technologies. 
Metaverse refers to a computerized domain where the users can share their virtual encounters. Still in the beginning phases of advancement, metaverse has become more important in key industries industries including technology, media, and telecom. In addition, metaverse is also impacting other major industries such as retail, gaming, and fashion. 
Metaverse will empower its users to be more engaged in online shopping, web-based media, entertainment, and share virtual encounters. Metaverse is often considered as a "coming together" of numerous technologies including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), 5G, smartphones, and distributed computing. Up until recently, the gaming industry has been driving the demand for metaverse. However, greater improvements in technologies have allowed metaverse to flourish in other industries as well. 
South Korea is one of the key countries driving the metaverse industry globally. This is one of the leaders in this area and there will be numerous, interesting opportunities involving metaverse in Korea. 
</div>


In this insight, we provide 8 examples of how metaverse is revolutionizing numerous businesses in Korea. We also provide a list of Korean companies that are actively trying to expand their metaverse businesses. Because metaverse is in the initial stages of growth for many of these businesses, their contributions to their companies' sales and profits may not be meaningful right now. However, they are experiencing a significant popularity. Metaverse is certainly one of the key industry trends that is likely to have a multi-years impact on the companies mentioned in this insight.
The term "metaverse" was first coined by the writer Neal Stephenson in his 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash where metaverse refers to a popular virtual world where the main characters are equipped with augmented technologies. 
Metaverse refers to a computerized domain where the users can share their virtual encounters. Still in the beginning phases of advancement, metaverse has become more important in key industries industries including technology, media, and telecom. In addition, metaverse is also impacting other major industries such as retail, gaming, and fashion. 
Metaverse will empower its users to be more engaged in online shopping, web-based media, entertainment, and share virtual encounters. Metaverse is often considered as a "coming together" of numerous technologies including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), 5G, smartphones, and distributed computing. Up until recently, the gaming industry has been driving the demand for metaverse. However, greater improvements in technologies have allowed metaverse to flourish in other industries as well. 
South Korea is one of the key countries driving the metaverse industry globally. This is one of the leaders in this area and there will be numerous, interesting opportunities involving metaverse in Korea. 


How Is Metaverse Revolutionizing Businesses in Korea? Virtual Humans Rozy & Lucy Are Just a Start

Cross Asset Strategy

<blockquote><a href="https://twitter.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/1432647669864878083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1432647669864878083%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pcgamer.com%2Fsouth-korea-passes-law-with-major-implications-for-apple-vs-epic%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Korea</a> is first in open platforms! Korea has rejected digital commerce monopolies and recognized open platforms as a right. This marks a major milestone in the 45-year history of personal computing. It began in Cupertino, but the forefront today is in Seoul. (Tim Sweeney - Founder of Epic Games)</blockquote>In a landmark case (an amendment of the Telecommunications Business Act), the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-apple-hit-in-south-korea-by-worlds-first-law-ending-their-dominance-over-app-store-payments-11630403335" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Korean government</a> announced on 31 August that Google and Apple will need to open their app stores to alternative payment systems in South Korea. This change in regulation is likely to negatively impact Google and Apple's lucrative commissions on digital sales.A new bill was passed by the Korean National Assembly on 31 August which will significantly reduce Google and Apple's dominance of digital sales on their app platforms. The final step is for President Moon to sign this bill but it is almost a near certainty that he will sign this bill. The following are the major companies/sectors that could benefit from the change in law:<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/naver-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16029:1" rel="noopener">Naver Corp (035420 KS)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kakao-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15002:1" rel="noopener">Kakao Corp (035720 KS)</a></li>
<li>Korean Telcos</li>
<li>Korean Game Companies</li>
<li>Korean Entertainment/Music/Movies/Drama Companies </li>
</ul>

Korea is first in open platforms! Korea has rejected digital commerce monopolies and recognized open platforms as a right. This marks a major milestone in the 45-year history of personal computing. It began in Cupertino, but the forefront today is in Seoul. (Tim Sweeney - Founder of Epic Games)In a landmark case (an amendment of the Telecommunications Business Act), the Korean government announced on 31 August that Google and Apple will need to open their app stores to alternative payment systems in South Korea. This change in regulation is likely to negatively impact Google and Apple's lucrative commissions on digital sales.A new bill was passed by the Korean National Assembly on 31 August which will significantly reduce Google and Apple's dominance of digital sales on their app platforms. The final step is for President Moon to sign this bill but it is almost a near certainty that he will sign this bill. The following are the major companies/sectors that could benefit from the change in law:
Naver Corp (035420 KS)
Kakao Corp (035720 KS)
Korean Telcos
Korean Game Companies
Korean Entertainment/Music/Movies/Drama Companies 


Korean Government Forces Google & Apple To Open Their App Stores to Alternative Payments

On 11 May, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kakao-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15002:1" rel="noopener">Kakao Corp (035720 KS)</a> announced that its affiliate Kakao Entertainment Corp was acquiring US based Tapas and Radish for $510 million and $440 million, respectively. Kakao Entertainment is one of the largest providers of webtoons in Korea and Japan. Tapas provides an online comic app. Radish is a storytelling fiction app. Radish previously received Series A funding from investors including SoftBank Group's venture arm and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kakao-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15002:1" rel="noopener">Kakao Corp (035720 KS)</a>.The acquisition of Tapas and Radish is likely to accelerate the IPO of Kakao Entertainment which could occur in 2022. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/skoreas-kakao-entertainment-acquire-serial-fiction-app-radish-440-mln-2021-05-11/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kakao Entertainment</a> plans to capitalize on these acquisitions to further expand in the North American market. These purchases of US content companies follow recent acquisitions of US based Ithaca Holdings by HYBE (Big Hit Entertainment) for $1.05 billion and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/naver-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16029:1" rel="noopener">Naver Corp (035420 KS)</a>'s acquisition of Canada based Wattpad for $600 million. Despite these acquisitions, there are some concerns about Kakao Entertainment potentially overpaying for them. While we believe that these acquisitions are likely to have long-term positive impact on Kakao Entertainment and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kakao-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15002:1" rel="noopener">Kakao Corp (035720 KS)</a>, we are concerned about the valuations of Kakao Corp which is currently trading at 66x P/E (2021), close to the high end of the historical valuation multiples in the past five years.

On 11 May, Kakao Corp (035720 KS) announced that its affiliate Kakao Entertainment Corp was acquiring US based Tapas and Radish for $510 million and $440 million, respectively. Kakao Entertainment is one of the largest providers of webtoons in Korea and Japan. Tapas provides an online comic app. Radish is a storytelling fiction app. Radish previously received Series A funding from investors including SoftBank Group's venture arm and Kakao Corp (035720 KS).The acquisition of Tapas and Radish is likely to accelerate the IPO of Kakao Entertainment which could occur in 2022. Kakao Entertainment plans to capitalize on these acquisitions to further expand in the North American market. These purchases of US content companies follow recent acquisitions of US based Ithaca Holdings by HYBE (Big Hit Entertainment) for $1.05 billion and Naver Corp (035420 KS)'s acquisition of Canada based Wattpad for $600 million. Despite these acquisitions, there are some concerns about Kakao Entertainment potentially overpaying for them. While we believe that these acquisitions are likely to have long-term positive impact on Kakao Entertainment and Kakao Corp (035720 KS), we are concerned about the valuations of Kakao Corp which is currently trading at 66x P/E (2021), close to the high end of the historical valuation multiples in the past five years.  

Kakao Entertainment - Buys US Based Tapas & Radish to Get Ready for an IPO in 2022

South Korea

CJ ENM, Ltd. retails clothes, kitchen utensils, home appliances, and jewelry.  The Company sells its merchandise through TV home shopping channels, catalogs, and the Internet shopping mall.  CJ ENM operates cable television business through a subsidiary.

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CJ ENM (035760 KS)

CJ ENM: Potential Block Sale of Its Stake In Netmarble & Concerns About Corporate Reorganization

According to a local media outlet called ETNews, CJ ENM is considering on selling about half of its stake in Netmarble in a block deal to acquire...

Douglas Kim

Korea M&A Recap in 2021 - A Leapfrog Year

2021 has been a leapfrog year in terms of major M&As in Korea. Some of the largest M&A deals in 2022 could include Hanon Systems, Bodyfriend,...

Douglas Kim

How Is Metaverse Revolutionizing Businesses in Korea? Virtual Humans Rozy & Lucy Are Just a Start

In this insight, we provide 8 examples of how metaverse is revolutionizing businesses in Korea. We also provide a list of Korean companies that are...

Douglas Kim

Korean Government Forces Google & Apple To Open Their App Stores to Alternative Payments

In a landmark case, the Korean government announced on 31 August that Google and Apple will need to open their app stores to alternative payment...

Douglas Kim

Kakao Entertainment - Buys US Based Tapas & Radish to Get Ready for an IPO in 2022

On 11 May, Kakao Corp (035720 KS) announced that its affiliate Kakao Entertainment Corp was acquiring US based Tapas and Radish for $510 million...

Douglas Kim

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