Top executives from both firms meet Tuesday

Discuss product supply for Korean investors

Mike Levin (from left), head of Asia at Morgan Stanley Investment Management; Kim Sung-hwan, president of Korea Investment & Securities; and Han Seung-su, head of Morgan Stanley Korea, pose for a photo after a business meeting at Korea Investment & Securities' headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on Tuesday. [Korea Investment & Securities]
Mike Levin (from left), head of Asia at Morgan Stanley Investment Management; Kim Sung-hwan, president of Korea Investment & Securities; and Han Seung-su, head of Morgan Stanley Korea, pose for a photo after a business meeting at Korea Investment & Securities' headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on Tuesday. [Korea Investment & Securities]

Korea Investment & Securities will launch funds from global financial firm Morgan Stanley Investment Management in the domestic market — the first time the asset manager's products have been made available to Korean retail investors. The brokerage plans to follow the initial fund offerings with additional premium products from Morgan Stanley Investment Management.

Kim Sung-hwan, president of Korea Investment & Securities, met Tuesday at the firm's Yeouido headquarters in Seoul with Mike Levin, head of Asia at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, and Han Seung-su, head of Morgan Stanley Korea, to discuss areas of cooperation.

The two sides shared their business directions for this year and medium- to long-term strategies, and agreed to jointly launch global products for Korean investors.

Korea Investment & Securities will first introduce flagship funds from Morgan Stanley Investment Management that have demonstrated strong performance over multiple years, with other financial products to follow.

Morgan Stanley is a global financial group operating investment banking, wealth management and asset management businesses. Its asset management arm, Morgan Stanley Investment Management, covers a broad range of strategies spanning shares, bonds and multi-asset products, as well as exchange-traded funds, private equity funds, infrastructure and hedge funds.

The collaboration is expected to broaden Korean investors' access to high-quality global assets. Korea Investment & Securities has recently been forging partnerships with a range of global financial institutions, including JPMorgan, Guotai Junan, Carlyle and Man Group, to offer investors differentiated global products and investment opportunities.

"As demand for global asset allocation among domestic investors continues to grow, it is important to strengthen cooperation with world-class financial institutions to provide differentiated investment opportunities," Kim said. "Through this partnership, we will make it easier for customers to access premium global assets and advanced investment strategies."


jiyun@heraldcorp.com