[THE INVESTOR]  Entertainment company IHQ has partnered with A&E Networks, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Co. to jointly develop contents for the global market, according to Maeil Business Newspaper on Oct. 24. IHQ has been seeking to expand into television drama and recording production and has a partner to provide its contents worldwide. Walt Disney will secure a foothold to make further inroads into South Korea. A&E, a documentary and drama cable, will also make use of a range of hallyu contents

[THE INVESTOR] Cheil Worldwide’s 2016 operating profit will reach 137.4 billion won (US$120.98 million), the largest figure ever, Daishin Securities forecast on Oct. 25. The advertising company reported 28.8 billion won operating profit in the third quarter, up 6.14 percent on-year, in a regulatory filing on Oct. 24. Its revenue rose 14.32 percent to 780.9 billion won, and net profit hiked 43.38 percent to 25.5 billion won on-year.“Cheil Worldwide’s Q3 operating profit is significantly higher th

[THE INVESTOR] Lotte Duty Free has maintained the third place for two consecutive years among the world’s duty-free operators by 2015 revenue, it announced on Oct. 24.According to The Moodie Report, Lotte’s sales in 2015 reached 3.75 billion euros (US$4.08 billion), after Switzerland’s Dufry (5.68 billion euros) and US’s DFS Group (3.77 billion euros). Lotte beat France’s LS Travel Retail to the third rank in 2014, and has closed in on DFS, in line with its aim to become the top duty-free operat

[THE INVESTOR] AmorePacific Group will launch its better-priced range Innisfree with a flagship store in Manhattan in 2017, according to Money Today on Oct. 24. Actor Lee Min-ho attending the opening ceremony for Innisfree`s Shanghai flagship store in 2015. InnisfreeThe South Korean beauty giant is looking for a site for the store slated to open as early as the first half next year, and will open multiple outlets across the US, where it already has four brands Amore Pacific, Sulhwasoo, Laneige a

[THE INVESTOR] Lotte Group is actively seeking to strengthen its presence in Vietnamese real estate market. Lotte Asset Development announced on Oct. 21 that it has decided to acquire 10 percent stake in Lotte Properties (Hanoi) Singapore for 16.32 billion won (US$14.43 million), to develop and manage real estate properties in Hanoi. It already operates Lotte Center Hanoi since 2014, the group’s first overseas complex. “Lotte affiliates as well as local partners will invest and acquire remaining

[THE INVESTOR] The world’s largest asset management company BlockRock has acquired 5.13 percent stake each inPOSCO andShinhan Financial Group, according to Financial Supervisory Service’s data on Oct. 20.BlackRock Fund Advisors and 14 others in special relationship reported that they have newly acquired 4,415,820 shares of POSCO and 24,320,723 shares of Shinhan Financial Group. South Korea’s largest steelmaker has shown the best performance since the second quarter in 2013. Its operating profit