Korea Investment Securities said on Monday it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with China’s Guotai Haitong Securities.

The MOU includes strategic cooperation across areas including research, brokerage, mutual distribution of financial products and global investment banking (IB).

Based on the MOU, Korea Investment Securities plans to pursue exclusive research collaboration with Guotai Haitong Securities and expand the scope of China stock market investment information it provides.

It will also review various brokerage cooperation opportunities to improve investment access and trading convenience for China and Hong Kong.

It also plans to expand cooperation using competitive products from both companies and to explore information sharing and joint business opportunities in global IB areas including ECM, DCM and M&A.

Guotai Haitong Securities is China’s top securities firm by equity capital, launched through the merger of Guotai Junan Securities and Haitong Securities. As of the end of the third quarter of 2025, its total assets stood at 2 trillion yuan (about 395 trillion won) and its equity capital was 338.9 billion yuan (about 67 trillion won).

Based on dual listings in mainland China (A shares) and Hong Kong (H shares), it has comprehensive financial investment capabilities across all areas including IB, brokerage and asset management.

Korea Investment Securities CEO Kim Sung-hwan (김성환) said, "This cooperation is an important starting point for expanding our strategic partnerships in key Asian markets and providing customers with broader investment opportunities and insights." He added, "We will build a cooperation model that leads to tangible results across everything from research to our broader business."