BHP Posts Record Iron Ore Output as China Pricing Pressures Loom 
China Halts Shipments of Nvidia H200 AI Chips, Forcing Suppliers to Pause Production 
Pop Mart Shares Surge in Hong Kong After First Buyback in Nearly Two Years 
Trump Delays Tariff Increases on Furniture and Cabinets for One More Year 
Singapore GDP Growth Surges in 2025 but Outlook Remains Cautious Amid Global Trade Risks 
Asian Stock Markets Start New Year Higher as Tech and AI Shares Drive Gains 
HKEX’s Permissive IPO Rules Could Open Opportunities for Korea to Strengthen Its Position in International Listings 
South Korea Exports Hit Record High as Global Trade Momentum Builds 
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Tech and Financial Stocks Weigh on Markets Amid Thin Holiday Trading 
Brazil Supreme Court Orders Asset Freeze of Nelson Tanure Amid Banco Master Investigation 
Asian Markets Slip as Precious Metals Cool, Geopolitical Tensions Weigh on Sentiment 
California Attorney General Orders xAI to Halt Illegal Grok Deepfake Imagery 
Global DRAM Chip Shortage Puts Automakers Under New Cost and Supply Pressure 
South Korea Inflation Rises to 2.3% in December, Matching Market Expectations 
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Plans China Visit Amid AI Chip Market Uncertainty 
Oil Prices Slip Slightly as Markets Weigh Geopolitical Risks and Supply Glut Concerns 
Forex Markets Hold Steady as Traders Await Fed Minutes Amid Thin Year-End Volumes 
Kakao is considered one of the strongest candidates to acquire stakes in SM Entertainment. The entertainment unit of the internet company is hoping to make use of the talent agency's intellectual property (IP) to take on its staunch rival, Naver.
According to The Korea Times, in the event that Kakao Entertainment is able to buy shares in SM Entertainment, it will be able to feature the company's big Kpop talents, including Super Junior, EXO, aespa, NCT, and more in its original content lineup. This will eventually allow Kakao to embark on the global OTT business.
The Seoul-based talent agency, which is also home to TVXQ, Girls Generation, Shinee, and Red Velvet, also runs Dear U, an information technology unit that has a goal of becoming a leader in the metaverse platform service globally. Kakao thinks that Dunamu, its crypto exchange affiliate, can form a synergy with Dear U in the NFT (non-fungible token) business.
Kakao and SM Entertainment have previously confirmed that they are in talks for a business partnership and investment in shares, but nothing has been finalized yet. There is no solid decision with any kind of business as of this time.
An official from Kakao said, "We are reviewing various ways to collaborate with SM Entertainment, but no specific details have been confirmed."
It was learned that CJ ENM is also interested in the purchase of shares in SME, and it has also entered talks about this last year. However, the companies failed to negotiate the sell-off price, and Kakao took over CJ ENM's place in the list of candidates.
The current sell-off price for SME was estimated to be between ₩600 billion or around $491.2 million and ₩1 trillion or $810 million. The stake for sale is said to be owned by the company's founder, Lee Soo Man, and consists of an 18.72% share and management rights.
Meanwhile, The Korea Economic Daily reported that Kakao Entertainment and SME are already in the final stages of talks for the acquisition of a controlling stake in the talent agency. It was predicted that the sale will proceed because Kakao accepted most of SM's requests.
