MBK Partners to invest US$2 bln in S. Korea

SEOUL, Oct. 9 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's state pension fund said Thursday MBK Partners Ltd., a buyout fund, has agreed to invest US$2 billion in South Korea.

The deal came a day after the National Pension Service announced a deal that
called for Oaktree Capital Management, a U.S. investment firm, to put $3 billion
into infrastructure projects and companies in South Korea.
"It's meaningful that the NPS attracted $5 billion in foreign capital at a time
when local banks are struggling with a foreign liquidity shortage," said Kim
Moon-soo, a senior investment official at the pension fund.
Mounting concerns about the dollar liquidity shortage, sparked by deepening
global financial turmoil, pushed the Korean currency to its lowest level in 10
years at in early morning trading.
Hit by the soaring cost of borrowing dollars in global money markets, South
Korean banks are finding it increasingly difficult to raise funds.
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