Japanese mobile operator SoftBank has announced that it intends to invest $1 billion into South Korea’s largest mobile commerce firm, Coupang. This would represent the largest Internet
investment that has been made in South Korea’s history and will provide Coupang with the financial support it needs to compete with other mobile commerce organizations. SoftBank has not
disclosed the size of the interest it will acquire in Coupang and the South Korean company will continue to operate of its own accord. In 2013, SoftBank successfully acquired Sprint, which may have
been the company’s first step toward expanding beyond Japan. The latest investment may be another step toward this endeavor, with SoftBank beginning to show significant interests in mobile
markets in other parts of the world. SoftBank has also increased its stake in Supercell, a Finnish company that develops mobile games. Mobile commerce may be part of why SoftBank is beginning to
expand, as this sector represents a significant degree of financial promise.
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