Mergers & Acquisitions
Korea Investment & Securities Takes 681,431 SK Inc Shares in $301 Million Swap
By News Desk ·
Key takeaways
- Korea Investment & Securities is taking 681,431 SK Inc shares, or 0.94% of the company, in a price return swap worth about 400 billion won ($301 million).
- The swap covers the remainder of Chey Tae-won's 944 billion won ($711 million) share sale, after DFO Public Investments agreed to buy 972,493 SK Inc shares for 544 billion won ($406 million).
- Both transactions are due to settle on November 2, with the proceeds funding a divorce settlement to Roh Soh-yeong.
Korea Investment & Securities will take 681,431 SK Inc shares, about 0.94% of the company, in a price return swap worth roughly 400 billion won ($301 million), part of SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won's 944 billion won ($711 million) share sale. The Times of India reported the arrangement, citing Reuters.
Korea Investment & Securities' SK Inc Swap
SK Inc said in a filing earlier this month that Chey Tae-won had agreed to sell 1.65 million shares, or a 2.26% stake, for 944 billion won. DFO Public Investments, L.P., a Delaware-based investment fund affiliated with DFO Management, the family investment office of Michael Dell, agreed to buy 972,493 SK Inc shares for 544 billion won ($406 million).
The price return swap with Korea Investment & Securities, a Seoul brokerage, covers the remaining 681,431 shares for about 400 billion won ($301 million). Both transactions are due to settle on November 2.
The sale funds a payout to Roh Soh-yeong, director of Seoul's Art Center Nabi and the daughter of former South Korean president Roh Tae-woo. Dell Technologies, a major supplier of AI servers and data centre infrastructure, has business ties with SK Hynix, SK Group's memory chipmaking unit, which supplies chips for Dell's data center servers.
Korea Investment & Securities' Recent Deals
Korea Investment & Securities acquired approximately 20% of cryptocurrency exchange Coinone for 160 billion won ($106 million) in May 2026, becoming joint third-largest shareholder alongside OKX Ventures, according to akta.pro company records. In April 2026 the firm launched Korea's first card platform-based note investment service with Shinhan Card via the Shinhan SOL Pay app, offering 150 billion won ($110 million) in short-term notes with returns of 3.3% to 3.5%.
Korea Investment & Securities also holds a 20% stake in a new sub-REIT established with Hyundai Motor (30%) and Coramco Life Infrastructure REIT (50%), which is acquiring 11 Hyundai Motor business locations for approximately 580 billion won. The same records list 2025 operating profit of 2.34 trillion won, up 76.3% year-on-year, and first-quarter 2026 operating profit of 959.9 billion won, an 85% year-on-year increase.
Korea Investment & Securities' Partnership Push
In September 2026 Korea Investment & Securities signed strategic partnerships with Fidelity, PIMCO and Carlyle, expanding cooperation across research, equities, fixed income and alternative investments, Koreatimes reported. That month the firm also began providing virtual asset price information through its app under an arrangement with Coinone, Nate reported.
In August 2026 Korea Investment & Securities said it would enhance its mobile trading system pension asset management function, aiming to create a comprehensive platform for trading, pensions and long-term asset formation, Nate reported. The firm also plans to enter the token securities market, tokenizing stocks and bonds, in collaboration with Coinone, ChainCatcher reported.
November 2 Settlement Date
Both the DFO Public Investments share purchase and the Korea Investment & Securities price return swap are due to settle on November 2.