Citi expects South Korean corporate global bond and equity financing to hit a record high in 2026

Odaily News: Citi Group expects that the issuance volume of South Korean companies in the global bond and stock markets will hit a record in 2026. Companies are raising growth capital from international investors, most notably SK Hynix's $26.5 billion US listing. Jangho Park, CEO of Citi Global Markets Korea, said on Wednesday that South Korea has an increasing number of "world-class companies and emerging industry leaders who are increasingly leveraging capital markets at competitive financing terms to raise funds for their growth targets."

Citi's optimistic outlook comes as South Korea's two major chipmakers have become major beneficiaries of the global AI infrastructure buildout. South Korea is seeking to push companies including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to invest at least 1,350 trillion won ($975 billion) in chip and data center construction, though many projects remain in early planning stages. (Jin Shi)