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Korean Court News

24 Oct 2022

South Korea Issues Arrest Warrants Over Fisheries Official Slain by North

(File photo: Matthew S. Masaschi / U.S. Coast Guard)

A South Korean court on Saturday issued arrest warrants for a former defense minister and a former coast guard chief over their alleged mishandling of the death of a state fishery ministry employee at the hands of North Korean troops two years ago.The decision by the Seoul Central District Court, which cited risks of them fleeing or destroying evidence, came days after the prosecutors on Tuesday filed for arrest warrants and follows an investigation by the government that showed…

10 Feb 2020

Japan Takes Second Complaint to WTO Over South Korean Shipbuilding

© Juozas55 / Adobe Stock

Japan launched a second complaint at the World Trade Organization on Monday over support South Korea gives its shipbuilding industry, intensifying a wider dispute between the two Asian countries.Japan said in its filing that it had complained to South Korea on Jan. 31 over measures related to the development, production, marketing and sales of commercial vessels. Japan circulated it to other WTO members on Monday.Washington's two biggest Asian allies are embroiled in a widening…

08 Dec 2017

Former Chief of Daewoo Shipbuilding Gets 6 Years in Jail

Former Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering  (DSME) boss Nam Sang-tae sentenced to six years in prison by Korean court for embezzlement and bribery, Yonhap reported. The report said that the Seoul Central District Court handed down the guilty verdict to Nam Sang-tae, 67, convicting him of accounting fraud, embezzlement, breach of duty and bribery. The court ordered him to forfeit 880 million won (US$806,000). Prosecutors have demanded an eight-year prison term. The court said in the ruling: "The defendant neglected his responsibility as the chief of Daewoo Shipbuilding and sought his personal gains using his authority and power. Daewoo Shipbuilding is 57 percent owned by the state-run lender Korea Development Bank (KDB).

17 Feb 2017

S.Korea Court Declares Hanjin Bankrupt

A South Korean court declared Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd bankrupt on Friday, after ruling earlier this month that the firm's liquidation value would be worth more than its value as a going concern. Hanjin Shipping, which had been the world's seventh-largest container shipper, applied for court receivership in late August after its creditor banks halted further support. The Seoul Central District Court said in a statement it has chosen a bankruptcy administrator, and claims by creditors are due by May 1, 2017. The first meeting of creditors will be held on June 1, 2017. "The court will, through the bankruptcy process, make efforts so the maximum of debt repayment will be conducted in a way that is fair and balanced to the creditors," it said. The court on Feb.

08 Feb 2017

Korea Bank Puts 10 Hanjin Vessels Up for Sale

Korea Development Bank, the main creditor of the dissolved Hanjin Shipping Co. and state-owned entity, has put 10 Hanjin vessels up for sale in order to source back elements of its extended loans, reports Yonhap. According to the sources, potential buyers are required to submit their bids for the ships — two container ships and eight bulk carriers — by Feb. 21. Previously a South Korean court agreed to formally end Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd’s court receivership process after a two week appeal period, ending the business. Therefore any method of rehabilitation for the South Korean shipping company is now over, thus heralding liquidation.

05 Feb 2017

South Korean Court to Liquidate Hanjin Shipping

The Seoul Central District Court Thursday decided to end the bankruptcy protection of Hanjin Shipping Co. Ltd (Hanjin Shipping), leaving the company to succumb to a declaration of bankruptcy later this month, Yonhap reported. Hanjin, once the world's seventh- or eighth-largest container shipper, filed for court receivership in late August 2016 as its creditors, led by the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), said they would not provide additional financial support to Hanjin starting from September 4. “Now that the sale of Hanjin’s major assets is almost over, the time has come to declare its final fate,” WSJ quoted Choi Ung-young, a judge on the Seoul court as saying. Choi said the shipping line has hardly any value as a going concern and that the court will likely rule on Feb.

02 Feb 2017

S.Korea Court to Declare Hanjin Bankrupt on Feb. 17

A South Korean court said on Thursday it decided to end Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd's court receivership process and expects to declare bankruptcy on February 17 after a two-week period for appeals.   The Seoul Central District Court said in a statement that it made the decision as the firm's liquidation value would be worth more than its value as a going concern.   Hanjin Shipping, which had been the world's seventh-largest container shipper, applied for court receivership in late August after its creditor banks halted further support.   Swiss shipping group MSC said on Wednesday its unit has bought a stake in Hanjin Shipping's U.S. port operator, the latest Hanjin asset to be sold.   Reporting by Joyce Lee

03 Jan 2017

Fincantieri's STX Bid Approved by S.Korean Court

French state holds 33 pct of STX France; acquisition could boost Fincantieri's position in cruise shipbuilding. A South Korean court approved on Tuesday Italy's Fincantieri as the preferred bidder to buy shipbuilder STX France, helping Fincantieri move closer to a deal that could boost its position in the cruise shipbuilding market. The Seoul court spokesman, who announced the decision on Tuesday, declined to give further details on the situation, while a Fincantieri spokesman also declined to comment. The sale of STX France, which specialises in building cruise ships and is profitable, forms part of the broader sale of businesses from the demise of the South Korean STX shipbuilding group.

27 Dec 2016

Only One Bidder for STX France

The South Korean court handling the bankruptcy proceedings of STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co. said that only a single bidder had submitted a binding proposal to buy the shipyard's profitable French unit, says a report by AFP. STX France, which specialises in building cruise ships, is the only profitable unit of STX Offshore, which filed for receivership in May. Italian shipbuilding giant Fincantieri SpA, Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards Group and French state-controlled naval shipbuilder DCNS had initially expressed interest in acquiring STX France, which specialises in building cruise ships. The four  were supposed to undertake due diligence of STX’s assets for up to two weeks before offering final takeover proposals. But only one bidder has met the deadline for making a binding offer.

27 Dec 2016

Fincantieri the Sole Bidder for STX France

Italian shipbuilding and construction group Fincantieri SpA is the only bidder for shipping group STX France, a source close to the matter said on Tuesday. The sale of STX France, which specialises in building cruise ships in the western France city of Saint-Nazaire and is profitable, forms part of the broader sale of businesses from the collapsed STX shipbuilding group. A spokesman for a Korean court overseeing the process had said earlier on Tuesday that one bid had been received for the STX France business, without giving a name. A spokesman for the Seoul court overseeing STX Offshore's receivership had said in November that four parties had expressed interest in buying one or both of South Korea's STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co Ltd and a controlling stake in STX France.

27 Dec 2016

Just One Bid So Far for STX France

Only one bid has been received so far for shipping group STX France, said a Korean court on Tuesday.   A spokesman for the Seoul court overseeing STX Offshore's receivership had said earlier in November that four parties had expressed interest in buying one or both of South Korea's STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co Ltd and a controlling stake in STX France SA. Reporting by Joyce Lee

04 Nov 2016

Four Bids for STX Offshore, STX France Emerge

Four parties have expressed interest in buying one or both of South Korea's STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co Ltd and a controlling stake in STX France SA, a spokesman for the Seoul court overseeing STX Offshore's receivership said on Friday. The Seoul Central District Court spokesman declined to comment on the names of the parties. The South Korean court in October decided to allow the two units of the collapsed STX shipbuilding group to be sold either separately or together. Initial bids were due on Friday for all of STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co Ltd and a 66.7 percent stake in STX France SA that is held by STX Europe AS. The four parties that entered non-binding bids in the sale were France's DCNS Group…

13 Oct 2016

Hanjin Assets to Go on Sale

The South Korean court overseeing Hanjin Shipping’s receivership process plans to put the collapsed shipper’s Asia-U.S. operations up for sale as early as Friday, says a report in Fortune. The company said that it is selling major businesses, including its Asia-U.S. route network, and will receive letters of intent by October 28. In a regulatory filing the company said a Seoul court overseeing its receivership process approved a public auction of the major businesses, and it is to get binding bids from interested parties by November 7, after a due diligence process. The spokesman for the Seoul Central District Court said the deadline for binding bids is expected to be Nov. 7. He declined to comment on potential price or interested parties for the assets.

28 Sep 2016

S. Korean Court Mulls Sale of Hanjin

The South Korean bankruptcy court handling the insolvency proceedings of Hanjin Shipping Co. said Wednesday a sale of the troubled company is possible, say media reports. However, the court has yet to reach a decision. "The sale of Hanjin is one of the options we're considering. If we conclude that it's the best way to rehabilitate the company, we'll do so, " Choi Ung-young, a judge and a spokesman for the Seoul Central District Court, said. According to Bloomberg, the Seoul Central District Court has called for a meeting of officials who are evaluating the container line. The court thinks it’s important to start the process sooner rather than later, but the sale plan will depend on market conditions. Hanjin, which filed for court receivership on Aug.

28 Sep 2016

COSCO Mulls Hanjin Port Asset Purchase

China's COSCO Shipping Co Ltd may consider buying the port assets of troubled South Korean firm Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd, Chinese online finance magazine Caixin reported on Wednesday. But COSCO Shipping has no plans to buy the world's seventh-largest container carrier's ships, Caixin cited the Chinese firm's Chairman Xu Lirong as saying. Hanjin Shipping collapsed last month. Earlier on Wednesday, a South Korean court said it has not yet decided whether a sale of the company is necessary. Reporting by Beijing Monitoring Desk and Paul Carsten

26 Sep 2016

HMM Mulls Buying Hanjin's 37 Boxships?

Hyundai Merchant Marine (HHM), South Korean’s second largest shipping line, is believed to be looking into buying troubled carrier Hanjin Shipping's 37 container vessels, reports WSJ. HHM will be the first to look at Hanjin’s vessels, with the focus on five 13,000-container ships. But it isn’t certain HMM will find the money to buy the ships, which could go for around $90 million each. The South Korean government and Korea Development Bank (KDB), Hanjin’s biggest creditor, are believed to support HMM if the firm decided to acquire Hanjin assests. The government and creditors have already stated they will not inject any more funds except the promised money to release the containers stranded aboard Hanjin fleet across the world.

21 Sep 2016

Busan: Business May Not be As Usual, Post Hanjin

Though Busan Port, the largest customer of Hanjin Shipping and hit hardest by the Liner's collapse,  asserts that everything is under control, doubts are being raised on Hanjin rehab plan as ships clog at the South Korean port, reports Reuters. As 13 Hanjin ships crowded waters outside the country's biggest port, the South Korean court handling Hanjin's receivership cast doubt on the container carrier's ability to survive a restructuring. A rehabilitation plan for the world's seventh-largest container carrier is "realistically impossible" if top priority debt such as backlogged charter fees exceed 1 trillion won ($896 million), the Seoul Central District Court said, South Korea's Yonhap newswire reported on Wednesday.

17 Sep 2016

Hanjin Shipping plan would see sale of most of its ships

South Korea's Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd, whose collapse has disrupted global trade, is considering a restructuring plan to sell more than half its ships, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. However, liquidation remained the most likely outcome for Hanjin Shipping, the newspaper cited the sources as saying. Hanjin Shipping, the world's seventh-largest container carrier, filed for receivership late last month in a South Korean court and must submit a rehabilitation plan in December. The company is working on various scenarios and focusing on one under which Hanjin would retain up to 15 of its 37 ships and return almost all of its 61 chartered ships to their owners, leaving a much smaller carrier, the Wall Street Journal said.

15 Sep 2016

Hanjin Says US-bound Ship is Being Held 'Hostage'

A lawyer for Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd , the failed South Korean container carrier, said on Thursday a U.S.-bound vessel was held "hostage" by disputes over payments, adding to the struggles in getting $14 billion of cargo off its ships stranded at sea. "There is no clear visibility yet on what will happen with this business," Hanjin lawyer Ilana Volkov said at a hearing, when asked by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge John Sherwood whether Hanjin was liquidating. Hanjin, the world's seventh-largest container line, filed for bankruptcy last month, leaving more than 100 ships and their cargo at sea and threatening to snarl U.S. freight traffic as the year-end shopping season approaches. Some ships chartered to Hanjin have been sold and more are up for sale.

13 Sep 2016

Hanjin Shipping Secures $45 mln to Rescue Stranded Cargo

Parent group transfers $36 mln to troubled shipper. It may cost over $150 mln to unload stranded cargo. The chairman of Hanjin Group transferred 40 billion won ($36 million) to Hanjin Shipping on Tuesday to help unload cargo stranded on the troubled shipper's vessels, a spokesman said, but regulators warned securing further funds could take "considerable time". The parent of Hanjin Shipping pledged last week to raise 100 billion won to help rescue cargo in the wake of the collapse of the world's seventh-biggest container shipper, including the 40 billion won from Chairman Cho Yang-ho. About $9 million pledged by Choi Eun-young, a former chairwoman of Hanjin Shipping, has also come in, the shipper said.

09 Sep 2016

Hanjin Gets US Court Order, Cash to Unload Ships

File photo: Hanjin

A U.S. judge said on Friday he will grant Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd provisional protection from creditors in the United States, enabling some vessels to dock and unload at U.S. ports. South Korea's Hanjin asked U.S. Bankruptcy Judge John Sherwood to issue an order that would prevent creditors from seizing Hanjin ships or property, and allow cargo owners to make arrangements to retrieve goods stranded in warehouses. Sherwood said he would sign the order later on Friday. Earlier, the company received authority to spend the money needed to dock at U.S.

09 Sep 2016

What to Expect From Hanjin Fallout?

South Korea’s biggest shipping company, Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd filed for court receivership in South Korea on Wednesday 31 August 2016 after losing the support of its banks, setting the stage for what has now become a motley situation. Ince & Co's Knowledge Bank takes a look. Some jurisdictions are refusing to allow Hanjin’s vessels to berth at their ports (on concerns that Hanjin cannot pay the port fees) while some of Hanjin’s vessels have instructions not to berth (for fear of ship arrest). The risk of ship arrest is a real one. Hanjin Rome was arrested in the port of Singapore last week. This arrest is likely to be the first of many more…

08 Sep 2016

Hanjin: $14 Billion in Cargo Stranded at Sea

The bankruptcy of South Korea’s Hanjin Shipping Co have left as much as $14 billion worth of cargo stranded at sea, reports WSJ. The financial woes of one of the world’s biggest shipping lines has thrown ports and retailers around the world into confusion, with giant container ships marooned and merchants worrying whether tons of goods will reach their shelves. It also  it remains unclear if the company can afford to pay the army of workers needed to unload the ships. The owners are trying to recover their goods and get them to customers. Dozens of ships carrying more than half a million cargo containers have been denied access to ports around the world because of uncertainty about who would pay docking fees, container-storage and unloading bills.