Hayfin opens Seoul office after Samsung Life stake, managing $1.1B for Korean clients
What's the deal? Hayfin Capital ManagementDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → opened a Seoul office on Thursday, expanding its Asia-Pacific footprint after Samsung LifeDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → took a strategic minority stake in the firm. Located at Three IFC in Yeouido, Seoul's financial district, the office will serve Hayfin's Korean institutional investors and partners.
What's the endgame? The global alternative asset manager wants on-the-ground coverage for a client base it has served since 2016. Hayfin manages €1 billion ($1.1 billion) in capital in Korea and plans to connect local clients more directly with its global team.
Why now? The office follows Hayfin's management buyout, which closed in February 2025. Samsung LifeDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Mubadala, and AXA IM PrimeDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → joined that deal as strategic minority shareholders, each taking a board seat and contributing to the firm's growth strategy.
Leading the office is Choi Si-jin, newly appointed head of Korea. He brings nearly two decades of experience and previously held senior roles at UBS Asset ManagementDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Wilshire Associates, Samsung Life, and Samsung Asset ManagementDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.
What changes for clients? Hayfin is pitching European private credit as a way for Korean investors to diversify portfolios heavy on US exposure. "For an institution that has already built meaningful U.S. private credit exposure, as many Korean pension plans and insurers have, adding European exposure is a genuine diversification of underlying risk," said Carlos Pla, head of portfolio management in Hayfin's private credit team.
Korea also matters for Hayfin's maritime investment strategy, given the country's leading role in global shipping and shipbuilding. The firm is seeking opportunities to provide specialized financing across the maritime sector.
The signal: Founded in 2009, Hayfin manages about €40 billion in assets and operates in 13 countries. Its Seoul push reflects how foreign managers are using local insurer tie-ups to deepen access to Korea's institutional capital.
Read more: koreatimes.co.kr
Image credit: Andrew Currie
