Mastern Investment Management Joins Forces with Invest Seoul [fn Market Watch]

[Financial News] Mastern Investment Management, an asset manager specializing in alternative investments, has partnered with Invest Seoul, Seoul’s dedicated agency for attracting foreign investment. It is the first case among South Korean real estate asset managers specializing in the sector to sign an MOU with the foundation. The partnership is expected to establish an ongoing channel linking global capital with Seoul’s real estate market.
According to investment banking industry sources on the 8th, Mastern Investment Management signed an MOU to promote foreign investment attraction at Invest Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 7th. The signing ceremony was attended by key officials from both sides, including Park Hyung-seok, CEO of Mastern Investment Management; Park Kyung-bae, head of domestic investments; Jihyung Lee, chairman of Invest Seoul; and Duk Shik Suh, a director.
Under the agreement, the two sides will establish a cooperation framework to identify global companies seeking to invest in Seoul and connect them with investment opportunities. They will use global companies introduced by Invest Seoul to promote major development projects and investment in Seoul, while pursuing various partnerships, including dispatching speakers to events for real estate investors. The agreement also covers support for tenant placement and business partnerships by matching global companies attracted by Invest Seoul with assets owned or developed by Mastern Investment Management. The plan is to maximize synergies by combining the foundation’s public investment-attraction infrastructure with the asset manager’s global alternative investment network.
The agreement reflects the alignment of the two sides’ strategic priorities. Invest Seoul, the first dedicated investment-attraction agency established by a local government, officially launched in November last year. Jihyung Lee, its inaugural chairman, spent more than 30 years handling investment attraction at the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA). He has set a goal of increasing new foreign direct investment (FDI) to the trillion-won range by attracting global anchor companies in strategic industries such as artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology. After establishing cooperation frameworks with Invest Korea and the University of Seoul (UOS), Invest Seoul has expanded its activities by hosting “Seoul Forward” at VivaTech 2026, Europe’s largest technology trade show.
Mastern Investment Management has also focused on strengthening its network of overseas institutional investors and attracting global capital since Park Hyung-seok took office. Through an organizational overhaul late last year, the company separated its investment and asset management functions and established a Strategic Investment Division within its overseas business to develop investment strategies targeting Asia as a whole. With assets under management (AUM) in the 38-trillion-won range, it is regarded as a firm with strengths in value-add and opportunistic strategies.
Market conditions are also favorable. South Korea’s commercial real estate transaction volume reached approximately 33.8 trillion won last year, the highest on record, driven by large office transactions. Mastern Investment Management’s Strategy Research Office forecasts transaction volume of 26.7 trillion to 33.3 trillion won this year and expects office vacancy rates to improve. The fact that South Korea’s FDI reached a record $36.05 billion last year based on reported figures is also supporting overseas capital’s interest in the Seoul market.
Park Hyung-seok said, "Based on the global network and investment experience we have built up, we will expand practical channels connecting high-quality overseas investors with Seoul’s real estate market." He added, "Through close cooperation with Invest Seoul, we will not only strengthen Seoul’s competitiveness as a global business hub but also help improve global capital’s access to South Korea’s real estate market."

[email protected] Kang Gu-gwi Reporter