(image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, May 15 (Korea Bizwire) — Hana Financial Group Inc., a major South Korean banking group, said Wednesday it has won an international arbitration suit against U.S. buyout group Lone Star over its purchase of KEB Hana Bank, formerly known as Korea Exchange Bank.
Lone Star filed the suit at the International Court of Arbitration under the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in 2016, accusing Hana Financial of intentionally lowering the price of KEB Hana Bank.
In the lawsuit, Lone Star demanded Hana Financial pay US$1.4 billion in compensation.
Lone Star bought a 50.5 percent stake in Korea Exchange Bank for 1.4 trillion won (US$1.18 billion) in 2003 before selling a 51.02 percent stake in the Korean lender to Hana Financial for 2.02 trillion won in 2012.
The international court informed Hana Financial of the ruling, the company said.
In 2012, Lone Star also filed an investor-state dispute arbitration claim against the South Korean government for alleged losses related to its investment in Korea Exchange Bank.
The World Bank unit for investor-state dispute arbitration is expected to issue a ruling over the case later this year.
The investor-state dispute mechanism allows a foreign investor to request international arbitration against a government that has caused them to lose money by violating international investment treaty obligations.
(Yonhap)
