Korea's financial regulator is increasingly trying to impose caution in respect of illiquid investments, especially offshore ones, but the tide of flows into such assets is still rising.
New guidelines on alternative investments for Korean securities firms are expected to be extended to insurance firms following the rapid growth of allocations to such assets.
Industry firms stump up nearly $20 million in seed capital in order to finance a state-backed online venture meant to reduce traditional distributors’ stranglehold.
Towers Watson and the Financial Supervisory Service both reckon corporate pension assets could hit $45 billion by the end of this year after doubling in 2010.