Daily BriefsSouth Korea

Daily Brief South Korea: Korea Stock Exchange Kospi Index, Webtoon Entertainment and more

In today’s briefing:

  • Specifics of Korea’s Official Short-Selling Regulations, Announced This Morning
  • Webtoon Entertainment IPO: The Bull Case


Specifics of Korea’s Official Short-Selling Regulations, Announced This Morning

By Sanghyun Park

  • Limiting extensions to four times after a 90-day repayment and mandating repayment after 12 months increases short-selling costs. The revision omits limits on position-holding cycles, disappointing retail investors.
  • Today’s release did not set a timeline for short-selling resumption. The ruling party has requested it after March 2025, with key officials present suggesting next year March resumption.
  • Regarding the electronic system implementation, core content aligns with the draft, but newly revealed institution numbers add a new perspective. Uncertainties remain on integrating overseas stock borrowing into the system.

Webtoon Entertainment IPO: The Bull Case

By Arun George

  • Webtoon Entertainment (WBTN US), a global storytelling platform, seeks to raise up to US$500 million through a Nasdaq IPO.
  • Webtoon is the leading web-comic player in all its major geographies, including Korea, the US and Japan. Naver Corp (035420 KS) and LY (4689 JP) are the primary shareholders.
  • The bull case rests on a large TAM, rising monthly active users, strong constant currency growth supported by monetisation initiatives, a shift to profitability, and cash generation.

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