It looks like Nexon might be the next addition to Disney’s ever-expanding roster of companies, according to a recent report. According to The Korea Herald, South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo has “quoted the international banking industry as saying that [Nexon Co.] Chairman Kim Jung-ju personally approached a high-ranking Disney representative to discuss acquisition matters.”
The news comes following Kim’s announcement in January that he intends to sell off his shares in Nexon Japan’s holding company NXC, in which he currently holds a 98.64% majority stake. Last month, reports indicated that the prospective buyers had been whittled down to a shortlist composed of Kakao, MBK Partners and Netmarble, Tencent, Bain Capital, and an unnamed firm, but apparently that’s not quite the plan now.
Apparently, however, Kim thinks that Disney would serve well as custodian of the company that he helped found in 1994: “What I envy the most about Disney is that they do not force money out of kids,” Kim said in 2015, adding that “Nexon has a long way to go. Some people hate Nexon to death.” The Korea Herald reached out to both Disney and Nexon for comment, but neither has provided a statement as of yet.
