ESG Analyst, Who's Good

Heejeong (Hollie) Park

ESG Analyst

ASIA’S FIRST AI-DRIVEN ESG INSIGHT PROVIDER

Who's Good

Using AI technologies and public data, Who’s Good provides objective and up-to-date corporate ESG insights on Asian companies.

WHY WHO'S GOOD

* Time-sensitive: Time is the essence in finance. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can process vast amount of information in a short span of time. Our powerful algorithm offers real-time in-depth corporate ESG analysis with out compromising its quality.
* Objective: We turned to public big data and news big data as source to base our analysis on and to preserve impartiality. We leverage 350 public big data sources and 93 news data sources in Korea to uncover insights.
* Insightful: Who’s Good ESG analysis coverage extends to all listed and non-listed companies in Korea. This allows us to provide a comprehensive insight into the Korean market.
* Global approach to ESG: Our ESG research framework is built on international standards and principles including UN Global Compact, ISO 26000, ICGN and CFA Guidelines on Corporate Governance to meet the global standards.

<ul>
<li>Recently, a controversy surrounding substantial crypto investments in the political sphere has exerted downward pressure on the stock prices of major listed game companies in South Korea. </li>
<li>In the past five years, there has been a shift in the gaming industry's risk landscape, with social risks giving way to governance risks.</li>
<li>Some game companies have started publishing sustainability reports, but challenges arise due to the inconsistency in environmental data and the difficulties in comparing companies.</li>
</ul>


Recently, a controversy surrounding substantial crypto investments in the political sphere has exerted downward pressure on the stock prices of major listed game companies in South Korea. 
In the past five years, there has been a shift in the gaming industry's risk landscape, with social risks giving way to governance risks.
Some game companies have started publishing sustainability reports, but challenges arise due to the inconsistency in environmental data and the difficulties in comparing companies.


ESG Incident Report: Changing Trends in ESG Risks for Major Listed Game Companies in South Korea

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

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

Comparison of Consensus Earnings Estimates of Top 100 Companies in KOSPI (MoM Basis) - This is a new section in our Korean Monthly Recap reports. In this part, we have tallied the top 100 companies in KOSPI (in terms of market cap) and compared their consensus sales and operating profit estimates in 2019 and 2020 on a MoM basis (from December 2nd to December 30th). Of the 100 companies, the consensus raised operating profit estimates on 30 of them (30%), lowered operating profit estimates on 47 companies (47%), and made no changes on operating profits in 23 of them (23%). The top 5 companies with the biggest percentage increase in higher operating profit estimate (2020E) by the consensus on a MoM basis (as of end of December) are as follows: (KCC, SK Hynix, KEPCO, LG Innotek, and Netmarble).The top 10 events impacting the Korean stock market, economy, &amp; politics in December were as follows:1) DELIVERY HERO TO ACQUIRE WOOWA BROTHERS 2) HANJIN KAL/KOREAN AIR FAMILY FEUD3) LOTTE SHOPPING/LOTTE GROUP BIG MANAGEMENT SHAKEUP 4) MOON MEETS ABE 5) NETMARBLE OFFICIALLY ACQUIRES WOONGJIN COWAY6) HDC HYUNDAI DEVELOPMENT OFFICIALLY ACQUIRES ASIANA AIRLINES7) ROH SO-YOUNG &amp; CHEY TAE-WON SPLIT8) LG UPLUS OFFICIALLY COMPLETED TAKEOVER OF CJ HELLOVISION9) HYUNDAI MOTOR'S NEW SHARE BUYBACK 10) BIG COVERING OF HYUNDAI MOBIS SHORTS

Comparison of Consensus Earnings Estimates of Top 100 Companies in KOSPI (MoM Basis) - This is a new section in our Korean Monthly Recap reports. In this part, we have tallied the top 100 companies in KOSPI (in terms of market cap) and compared their consensus sales and operating profit estimates in 2019 and 2020 on a MoM basis (from December 2nd to December 30th). Of the 100 companies, the consensus raised operating profit estimates on 30 of them (30%), lowered operating profit estimates on 47 companies (47%), and made no changes on operating profits in 23 of them (23%). The top 5 companies with the biggest percentage increase in higher operating profit estimate (2020E) by the consensus on a MoM basis (as of end of December) are as follows: (KCC, SK Hynix, KEPCO, LG Innotek, and Netmarble).The top 10 events impacting the Korean stock market, economy, &amp; politics in December were as follows:1) DELIVERY HERO TO ACQUIRE WOOWA BROTHERS 2) HANJIN KAL/KOREAN AIR FAMILY FEUD3) LOTTE SHOPPING/LOTTE GROUP BIG MANAGEMENT SHAKEUP 4) MOON MEETS ABE 5) NETMARBLE OFFICIALLY ACQUIRES WOONGJIN COWAY6) HDC HYUNDAI DEVELOPMENT OFFICIALLY ACQUIRES ASIANA AIRLINES7) ROH SO-YOUNG &amp; CHEY TAE-WON SPLIT8) LG UPLUS OFFICIALLY COMPLETED TAKEOVER OF CJ HELLOVISION9) HYUNDAI MOTOR'S NEW SHARE BUYBACK 10) BIG COVERING OF HYUNDAI MOBIS SHORTS

Korea Stock Market Monthly Recap #43 (December 2019) + Beckham Tries Hanwoo

I visited the G-Star game exhibition in Busan last Thursday (November 14th), which is the largest game exhibition held annually in Korea. The G-Star game exhibition was held over four days from November 14th to 17th and there were 244,309 visitors to the exhibition this year, up 3.9% YoY.One of the things that was very noticeable about the G-Star 2019 Expo was the increasing presence of Chinese game companies including Tencent (Supercell), Mihoyo, and IGG who took up very large sections of the exhibition. On the other hand, the two largest game companies in Korea including <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ncsoft-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5169:1" rel="noopener">NCsoft Corp (036570 KS)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nexon-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16032:1" rel="noopener">Nexon (3659 JP)</a> chose not to attend. In this report, I highlight some of the key companies and their games that were featured at this exhibition.

I visited the G-Star game exhibition in Busan last Thursday (November 14th), which is the largest game exhibition held annually in Korea. The G-Star game exhibition was held over four days from November 14th to 17th and there were 244,309 visitors to the exhibition this year, up 3.9% YoY.One of the things that was very noticeable about the G-Star 2019 Expo was the increasing presence of Chinese game companies including Tencent (Supercell), Mihoyo, and IGG who took up very large sections of the exhibition. On the other hand, the two largest game companies in Korea including NCsoft Corp (036570 KS) and Nexon (3659 JP) chose not to attend. In this report, I highlight some of the key companies and their games that were featured at this exhibition. 

Visit to the G-Star Game Exhibition in Busan

South Korea

Netmarble Corporation develops and publishes mobile games. The Company develops and publishes casual games, action, sports games, strategy, simulation games, and social casino games. Netmarble offers services worldwide.

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Netmarble (251270 KS)

ESG Incident Report: Changing Trends in ESG Risks for Major Listed Game Companies in South Korea

This article uncovers the evolving landscape of ESG risks in the gaming industry, including the impact of cryptocurrency controversies and the...

Heejeong (Hollie) Park

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

Korea Stock Market Monthly Recap #43 (December 2019) + Beckham Tries Hanwoo

Comparison of Consensus Earnings Estimates of Top 100 Companies in KOSPI (MoM Basis) - This is a new section in our Korean Monthly Recap reports....

Douglas Kim

Visit to the G-Star Game Exhibition in Busan

I visited the G-Star game exhibition in Busan last Thursday (November 14th), which is the largest game exhibition held annually in Korea. The...

Douglas Kim

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