Trump’s Inflation Claims Clash With Voters’ Cost-of-Living Reality 
Indian Refiners Scale Back Russian Oil Imports as U.S.-India Trade Deal Advances 
Rio Tinto Shares Hit Record High After Ending Glencore Merger Talks 
Amazon Stock Rebounds After Earnings as $200B Capex Plan Sparks AI Spending Debate 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
Oil Prices Slide on US-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength and Profit-Taking Pressure 
Singapore Budget 2026 Set for Fiscal Prudence as Growth Remains Resilient 
Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm 
Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility 
American Airlines CEO to Meet Pilots Union Amid Storm Response and Financial Concerns 
Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran 
China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices 
South Africa Eyes ECB Repo Lines as Inflation Eases and Rate Cuts Loom 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
OpenAI Expands Enterprise AI Strategy With Major Hiring Push Ahead of New Business Offering 
Toyota’s Surprise CEO Change Signals Strategic Shift Amid Global Auto Turmoil 
McDonald's Korea is up for sale, and Dongwon Industries Co. is being reported to likely become the new owner. This is because the South Korean seafood company is eyeing the acquisition of the local unit of the world-famous fast-food chain brand.
Dongwon Industries' goal of acquiring McDonald's Korea is being seen as an attempt to boost its franchise food business. The company is part of the Dongwon Group, which operates a variety of businesses, including finance, food, marine, living, and even logistics. It is said to be hopeful that adding the chain to its portfolio will create good synergy for its business lines.
As per The Korea Times, Dongwon Industries participated in the preliminary bidding in the race to buy McDonald's Korea last month. It ended up as the only candidate, so recently, it has advanced to the price negotiation stage with the fast-food brand.
The negotiations happened after the first round of due diligence that was carried out last week. At this time, the McDonald's HQ in the United States owns a 100% stake in its Korean division.
The selling price is estimated to be about KRW500 billion or $399 million, but since this is not yet the definite price, it may be a bit lower in the final negotiation. Once a deal is reached, and papers are signed, Dongwon Industries will become the sole owner of McDonald's business in South Korea. But then again, it will still be required to pay a five percent royalty fee to the U.S. HQ.
Meanwhile, Pulse News reported that shares of Dongwon Industries went up almost 20% to KRW53,600 or $43 on Monday, Feb. 6, the day when the media reported about its acquisition bid for McDonald's Korea.
Business insiders said that the seafood company, which is also the holding unit of the Dongwon, is negotiating with the party that is managing the sale of McDonald's Korea. The company confirmed in its regulatory filing this week that it is looking into the possible acquisition deal, but at this time, there is no specific decision yet.
Photo by: Jonathan Marchal/Unsplash
