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The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

SCMP
Asia

The Korea Times

Opinion

Columnists

Peter S. Kim

Corporate governance fight over SM Entertainment

In a rare event that happens every decade or so, a war is being waged around SM Entertainment, one of the most successful entertainment companies in South Korea, which manages several world-famous K-pop groups. This time, the struggle for management control is between Kakao, the internet conglomerate, and HYBE, another K-pop company that has the ridiculously popular group BTS on its roster. The tussle is over the controlling stake of SM held by its founder, Lee Soo-man, and is challenged by a consortium comprised of SM management, Kakao, and activist fund Align Partners.

2023-03-05 16:40

Investing wisdom of a black rabbit

This year, we bid goodbye to the Year of the Tiger and welcome the Year of the Rabbit. For those who care, people born in the year of the rabbit are said to be peaceful types who avoid confrontation and possess high intelligence. On the other hand, they are also susceptible to jealousy and pessimism.The year 2023 is also notable for the year of the black rabbit, which comes around every 60 years, suggesting a magnified version.

2023-02-05 16:40

3 investment risks to watch for in 2023

The year 2022 was one where investors faced a multitude of hazards like the Russian invasion of Ukraine, China's reversal of its market reforms and the disorderly global recovery from COVID-19. But most notable was soaring inflation not seen since the 1970s.

2023-01-01 16:50

Inconvenient truths of the ESG movement

Over the past few years, the environment, social, and governance (ESG) movement has morphed into a global phenomenon as governments, corporations, and investors rush to embrace its implementation. In an era where the public backlash against large corporations is at an all-time high, the need to rein in corporate profits generated at society's expense is hard to argue for all stakeholders.

2022-12-04 17:00

China's new era under Xi

Last month, the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party put beyond doubt the fact that President Xi Jinping will rule the world's second-largest economy with an iron fist for years, if not decades. By extending the constitutionally mandated maximum term of 10 years, Xi is now the first leader since Mao Zedong to sit for an unlimited rule.

2022-11-06 17:00

No need to panic over currency

For decades, economists and policymakers have confidently predicted that the world is “turning Japanese.” Structural trends like declining demographics and growing dependence on debt to drive economic growth have the world looking like taking a path similar to Japan's “lost decades.” The conviction that the world is in a deflationary trap was supported by the spread of technology and globalization, further pressuring prices for labor and products.

2022-09-20 15:28

Korea's currency weakness

About halfway through the year, battered investors globally are struggling to see the end of the tunnel due to the relentlessly rising inflation and interest rates. Over the past few weeks, financial markets have been bracing for an imminent global recession after losing faith in the ability of central banks to rein in runaway inflation.

2022-07-31 14:43

Not just another crypto-bubble

Amid stock market woes year to date, the spectacular boom and bust of the “Luna” cryptocurrency surpassed them all. Within a few days, billions of dollars evaporated after an investor frenzy unmatched in the history of asset bubbles. Luna was founded by 30-year-old Do Kwon, who launched the “Terra” U.S. dollar stable coin in 2020.

2022-07-03 16:10

President Yoon's pro-business promise

With U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to South Korea in the rearview mirror, it is a good time to look at President Yoon Suk-yeol's to-do list, which has many challenges on the political and economic front. One of the most urgent is the turbulence in global financial markets, which are currently being weighed down by fears of stagflation and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The last time South Korea hosted a U.S. president, it was with circus-like fanfare for the meeting between Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong-un. Some even had hopes of unification between the two Koreas.

2022-06-05 16:59

End of COVID-19 bull market

More than 20 years ago, legendary investor Warren Buffet warned about investment bubbles by declaring, “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked.” Buffett's famous words seem pertinent with the fears of inflation shaking financial markets after two years of irreverent increases in asset prices.

2022-05-01 16:19

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