MBK Partners (MBKP) is a private equity firm focused on North Asia. According to Forbes, MBK Partners is one of the largest private equity firms in Asia.
In 2023, Private Equity International, ranked MBK Partners as the eighth largest private equity firm in Asia based on total fundraising over the most recent five-year period.
MBK Partners was founded in 2005 as a buyout company by Michael ByungJu Kim and several other senior Asian executives from the Carlyle Group.
In January 2022, a 12.5% stake of the firm was sold to Blue Owl Capital (formerly known as Dyal Capital Partners).
MBK Partners' investment focus is in North Asian regions, namely China, Japan and South Korea.
MBK Partners has offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo.
As of 2017, MBKP manages Special Situations funds that focus on providing capital solutions in North Asia for companies with constrained access to financing due to developmental stage, market cycles, or structural inefficiencies. The firm's Special Situations strategy has included at least two flagship funds, with the first closing at approximately $850 million, and the second raising around $1.8 billion in commitments.
In May 2009, MBKP and Goldman Sachs acquired a 98.3% stake in Universal Studios Japan for 1.4 billion.
In August 2013, MBKP acquired ING's South Korean insurance unit for total cash proceeds of 1.84 trillion won ($1.65 billion).
In November 2014, MBKP sold accounting software maker, Yayoi Co to Japanese financial services provider, Orix Corp for 80 billion yen ($691 million).
In October 2016, MBKP and TPG Capital acquired Wharf T&T from The Wharf (Holdings) for HK$9.5 billion ($1.2 billion). In August 2018, Wharf T&T was sold to Hong Kong's telecom operator HKBN for HK$10.5 billion ($1.34 billion).
MBKP took ING Life Insurance Korea (renamed Orange Life) public in May 2017 with a $1.2 billion initial public offering, making it the first company owned by a private equity fund to be listed on the South Korean stock exchange.
In February 2019, MBKP acquired Godiva Chocolatier's Asian-Pacific operations for $1.5 billion. The firm also acquired a 79.83% stake in Lotte Card, a Korean credit card company, for $986.1 million in 2019.
In February 2025, MBKP acquired a controlling stake in FICT, a Japanese semiconductor equipment manufacturer.