NPS CIO Lee Kyu-hong, Blackstone's Jon Gray hold one-on-one dialogue
About 200 attend, including NPS staff, financial sector officials and local university students
The National Pension Service held a "Global Investment Insights Dialogue" with global alternative asset manager Blackstone at its Fund Management Headquarters in the Jeonbuk Innovation City, the NPS said recently.
The event was organized to strengthen the NPS's investment expertise through exchanges with world-class investment professionals and to give domestic and international financial industry officials, as well as local university students, a broader understanding of global financial markets.
The dialogue took the form of a one-on-one conversation between NPS Chief Investment Officer Lee Kyu-hong and Blackstone President and Chief Operating Officer Jon Gray. The two discussed the global macroeconomic environment and financial market outlook, investment opportunities and risk factors across major asset classes, and long-term investment strategies.
About 200 people attended, including NPS Chairman Kim Sung-joo, NPS executives and staff, officials from domestic and international financial institutions based in Jeonju, and university students from North Jeolla Province.
NPS Chairman Kim Sung-joo said it was meaningful that a forum for sharing experiences and insights on global financial markets with a world-class investment expert had been arranged in Jeonju. "We will continue to expand cooperation with global financial institutions and broaden opportunities for young people in the region to grow by experiencing the world's financial markets," Kim said.
Gray also said he found it meaningful to discuss the global investment environment and long-term investment strategies with the NPS. "I am particularly pleased to share my investment experience with students who will lead the financial industry in the future," he said.
A university student who attended said the event was a valuable opportunity to broaden their perspective by meeting a global financial leader in their own region. The student said Gray's advice — "Stay calm, stay positive, never give up" — had left a lasting impression and would inspire them to pursue a career in finance.
Blackstone is the world's largest alternative asset manager, with holdings spanning real estate and private equity. As of the end of June this year, it managed approximately 1,800 trillion won ($1.34 trillion) in assets. The firm has also been strengthening its foothold in South Korea's real estate market. Blackstone Real Estate Partners launched a dedicated Korean real estate investment team three years ago and has consistently acquired prime domestic assets since. Last year, it purchased two state-of-the-art logistics centers in Gimpo and Namyangju — key last-mile hubs in the Greater Seoul area — through Cube Industrial Asset Management. Including its investment in Sanha Logistics Park II in September, Blackstone has completed five deals in South Korea over the past 14 months, among them three logistics centers.
an@heraldcorp.com
