[Special Stock] Interpark, Explosive Growth in E-commerce... Kakao and Yanolja Focused on Interpark's Expansion Potential

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyungsoo Park] While the KOSDAQ market is plunging, Interpark's stock price is showing strength. It appears that the news of more than 10 companies, including Yanolja, considering participation in the preliminary bidding for the acquisition of Interpark, Korea's first e-commerce company, has influenced the stock price.

As of 11:05 AM on the 13th, Interpark is trading at 9,330 KRW, up 12.82% from the previous day.

On this day, an economic newspaper reported that NH Investment & Securities, the lead manager for Interpark's sale, signed non-disclosure agreements with more than 10 potential candidates including Yanolja and KG Group, and sent out investment prospectuses. Platform companies such as Yanolja, Trip.com, and Kakao, as well as distribution companies including Lotte Group, are reviewing investments in Interpark. Kakao is mentioned as the most likely acquisition candidate. Since Kakao has recently diversified its business by launching domestic airline reservation services through KakaoT, it is analyzed that they cannot help but focus on Interpark, which holds a high market share in the performance and travel markets.

Yanolja, aiming to become a global company, is also considered a strong acquisition candidate. According to industry insiders, Yanolja has not yet made an internal decision regarding the acquisition, but since it aims to expand into a comprehensive leisure platform covering accommodation, transportation, leisure, food, and shopping, it is actively reviewing the sale. Recently, KG Group is reportedly considering participating in the acquisition battle, judging that it can create synergy with its existing businesses including electronic payments.

Due to the impact of COVID-19, the domestic e-commerce market is growing explosively. According to market research firm eMarketer, Korea's e-commerce sales last year reached $104.1 billion (approximately 120.4 trillion KRW), a 19.5% increase compared to the previous year. It ranks fifth worldwide after China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. According to Statistics Korea and others, Korea's e-commerce market size is expected to grow to 270 trillion KRW by 2025.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.