2015 was a landmark year for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) globally. Buyers from all over the globe spent a record-breaking USD 3.8 trillion on M&A, surpassing the previous record set back in 2007. Furthermore, the momentum is expected to increase even after a relatively slow first quarter.
South Korea is still fairly new to the concept of M&A, but it’s catching up pretty quickly. Thanks to active government support of M&A expansion since 2014, South Korea’s M&A market hit a record high USD 87.5 billion in 2015—the third largest among Asian economies. The country’s M&A market continues to show positive growth year and is expected to hit a record KRW 40 trillion (USD 33.36 billion), driven by sales of companies owned by big banks and ongoing corporate restructuring across various industry sectors.