Homeplus, which is undergoing corporate rehabilitation proceedings, is launching a second round of restructuring by temporarily suspending operations at 37 low-contribution hypermarket stores from May 10 to July 3. It signed a sale contract for its Homeplus Express business with NS Shopping, but said the sale alone is insufficient to secure operating funds and normalise remaining units. Homeplus urged its largest creditor, Meritz Financial Group, to provide bridge and DIP loans.

A prosecutors’ raid on Daishin Securities in a probe into alleged price manipulation involving a manager has reignited concerns over the effectiveness of internal controls across South Korea’s brokerage industry. The employee is suspected of colluding with outside actors to boost a KOSDAQ-listed stock and generate illicit profits worth tens of billions of won. Daishin says it detected suspicious trading early and reported the case, but some see the investigation expanding. Regulators and firms are also stepping up internal-control measures.