K Bank has passed a preliminary review for a new listing on South Korea’s KOSPI market, the Korea Exchange’s stock market division said on Monday. The internet-only bank was founded in January 2016. On a standalone basis, it reported 2024 operating revenue of 1.23 trillion won and operating profit of 133.0 billion won. BC Card is its largest shareholder with a 33.7 percent stake. The company will proceed to bookbuilding and setting an offer price.

Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) and the Korea Fabless Industry Association (KFIA) signed an agreement to strengthen global competitiveness in the AI semiconductor industry. The partnership aims to build an end-to-end ecosystem spanning design, fabrication and packaging, and verification. KFIA will provide field-based data and help shape demand-driven education and research, while GIST will support shared verification environments and high-difficulty R&D. The partners plan joint R&D, training programmes and government-linked projects, targeting results from the second half of 2026.