Global Companies in Korea — 2026-09-20
Foreign investors turned net buyers of domestic listed stocks in August for the first time in eight months, purchasing 344 billion won. Meanwhile, the global tea brand CHAGEE opened its 9th store at Lotte World, and Daegu Shinsegae brought in six new overseas brands like Maison Margiela, showing active expansion in the consumer market.
Global Companies in Korea — 2026-09-20
Foreign Investors Turn Net Buyers with 344 Billion Won in August
Foreign investors turned to net buying of domestic listed stocks in August, purchasing 344 billion won and marking their first net buying trend in eight months since last December. While they bought 1.888 trillion won in the Kospi market, they sold 1.545 trillion won in the Kosdaq, highlighting a clear preference for large-cap stocks. This suggests that global capital is reevaluating the valuation attractiveness of the Korean stock market.
CHAGEE Opens Lotte World Store to Target Jamsil District
CHAGEE, a modern global tea brand from China, opened its ninth domestic store, the Lotte World branch, on September 18. Entering the key commercial district of Jamsil in Seoul to expand customer touchpoints, this move is a strategic step by a global F&B company to strengthen offline experiential marketing in the Korean market.
Daegu Shinsegae Revamps Overseas Designer Hall with Six New Brands
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Daegu Shinsegae grandly opened a remodeled luxury fashion hall covering approximately 5,078 square meters on the 4th floor. The space brings together a total of 34 brands, including six overseas labels making their debut in the Daegu commercial district, such as Maison Margiela, Sacai, and Jacquemus. This reflects retailers' aggressive branding strategies to meet luxury and contemporary demand in regional markets.
Deals, expansion & investment
Mardi Mercredi Opens Flagship Store in Seongsu-dong
K-fashion brand Mardi Mercredi opened its flagship store in Seongsu-dong on September 18. The basement level features an LP shop for its in-house label, TW Records, creating a complex cultural space that goes beyond simple apparel sales. This is an example of leveraging a domestic foothold to strengthen brand heritage in step with the rising global recognition of K-brands.
Regulation & market context
Follow-up Discussions on the Implementation of the Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment Special Act
Regarding the "Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment Special Act" implemented on June 18 as part of the tariff negotiation agreement between the two countries, forecasts suggest that Foreign Minister Cho Hyun's visit to the U.S. could lead to additional agreements or announcements concerning U.S.-bound investments. This is an important policy variable that could simultaneously impact the regulatory environment for Korean companies investing in the U.S. and U.S. companies operating within Korea.
On the radar
- Korea Premium Week 2026 (September 28 – October 16): A massive IR event hosted by the Korea Exchange and financial authorities, featuring 42 domestic and international institutional investors and 55 listed companies. Attention is focused on whether global investors will reevaluate Korean corporations.
- Korea Investment & Securities Global Research Partnership: Korea Investment & Securities is expanding partnerships with global asset managers such as Fidelity and JPMorgan to provide exclusive market insights to domestic investors.
By the numbers
- 344 billion won: Foreign investors' net purchases of domestic listed stocks in August (first net buying since December of last year)
- 1.888 trillion won: Foreign net purchases in the Kospi market during the same period
- 9th store: The number of offline stores for global tea brand CHAGEE in Korea (as of the Lotte World store opening on September 18)
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