Oil Prices Ease in Asia as Geopolitical Risks Clash With Weak Demand Outlook 
Oil Prices Edge Higher as Strong U.S. Growth and Supply Risks Support Market 
John Carreyrou Sues Major AI Firms Over Alleged Copyrighted Book Use in AI Training 
Nvidia to Acquire Groq in $20 Billion Deal to Boost AI Chip Dominance 
Texas App Store Age Verification Law Blocked by Federal Judge in First Amendment Ruling 
U.S. Stocks Rally to Record Highs as AI Rebound Fuels Holiday-Shortened Session 
Taiwan Stock Market Ends Higher as Semiconductor and Energy Shares Lead Gains 
California Regulator Probes Waymo Robotaxi Stalls During San Francisco Power Outage 
FTC Praises Instacart for Ending AI Pricing Tests After $60M Settlement 
U.S. Dollar Slips as Yen Finds Support on Intervention Signals and Geopolitical Risks Rise 
Saks Global Weighs Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Amid Debt Pressures and Luxury Retail Slowdown 
Niigata Set to Approve Restart of Japan’s Largest Nuclear Power Plant in Major Energy Shift 
Waymo Plans Safety and Emergency Response Upgrades After San Francisco Robotaxi Disruptions 
IMF Reaches Staff-Level Agreement With Egypt, Opening Path to $3.8 Billion in Funding 
Asian Markets Rise as AI Rally Caps 2025, Gold and Silver Hit Record Highs 
UK Economy Grows 0.1% in Q3 2025 as Outlook Remains Fragile 
Yen Stabilizes Near Lows as Japan Signals Readiness to Intervene Amid Dollar Weakness 
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
