How does Hayfin Capital Management view Korea as an investment market?

Hayfin said Korea is important for both its maritime investment strategy and its efforts to offer European private credit to Korean institutional investors. Carlos Pla said Korean pension plans and insurers already have significant U.S. private credit exposure, so European exposure can diversify underlying risk.

Hayfin Capital Management opens Seoul office after Samsung Life investment

Q: Why did Hayfin Capital Management open a Seoul office after Samsung Life invested in the firm?

Hayfin said the office is meant to expand its Asia-Pacific presence and provide on-the-ground coverage for its growing base of Korean institutional investors and partners. The firm also said the move should help connect Korean clients more effectively with its global team and improve client service.

Q: Who is leading Hayfin Capital Management's Korea office in Seoul?

Choi Si-jin has been appointed head of Korea to lead the new office. Hayfin said he has nearly two decades of experience in investment and institutional capital formation and previously worked at UBS Asset Management, Wilshire Associates, Samsung Life and Samsung Asset Management.

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Summary

Hayfin Capital Management opened a Seoul office on Thursday after Samsung Life invested in the firm as a strategic minority shareholder. The office, at Three IFC in Yeouido, will serve Korean institutional investors and partners. Choi Si-jin, newly appointed head of Korea, will lead the office and focus on client service. Hayfin said Korea is also important for its maritime investment strategy and European private credit pitch.

Key Facts

Hayfin said it manages 1 billion euros, or $1.1 billion, in capital in Korea and has invested on behalf of Korean clients since 2016.
The Seoul office is located at Three IFC in Yeouido, in Seoul's financial district.
Samsung Life, Mubadala and AXA IM Prime participated in Hayfin's management buyout, which closed in February 2025.
Each of the three investors has representation on Hayfin's board and contributes to the firm's growth strategy.
Hayfin has local offices in 13 countries, including Korea.

By Lee Yeon-woo

Published Oct 1, 2026 3:50 pm KST

Choi Si-jin, head of Korea at Hayfin Capital Management, speaks during a press conference at Conrad Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Hayfin Capital Management

Hayfin Capital Management opened a new office in Seoul, Thursday, expanding its presence in the Asia-Pacific region following Samsung Life's investment in the firm as a strategic minority shareholder.

Located at Three IFC in Yeouido, in Seoul's financial district, the office will provide on-the-ground coverage for Hayfin's growing base of Korean institutional investors and partners.

"The Seoul office's focus is on understanding the needs of Korean institutional investors, connecting them effectively with the global team and enhancing the overall quality of client service," said Choi Si-jin, head of Korea at Hayfin.

Choi, newly appointed to lead the office, has nearly two decades of experience in investment and institutional capital formation. He previously served as head of private equity for Asia-Pacific at UBS Asset Management and held senior roles at Wilshire Associates in Hong Kong, Samsung Life and Samsung Asset Management.

The office opening follows Hayfin's management buyout, which closed in February 2025. Samsung Life, Mubadala and AXA IM Prime participated in the transaction as strategic minority shareholders. Each of the three investors has representation on Hayfin's board and contributes to the firm's growth strategy.

Hayfin currently manages 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in capital in Korea and has been investing on behalf of Korean clients since 2016, according to Risa Lipsky, global co-head of client coverage.

Lipsky said that while Hayfin's partnership with Samsung Life remains at an early stage, it has already helped raise awareness of the firm's investment platform and strengthen its brand recognition in conversations with other market participants in Korea.

Korea is also an important market for Hayfin's maritime investment strategy because of the country's prominent position in the global shipping and shipbuilding industries, Lipsky added. The firm is seeking opportunities to provide specialized financing solutions across the broader maritime sector.

Hayfin pitched European private credit as a way for Korean institutional investors to diversify portfolios that already have substantial exposure to the U.S. market.

"For an institution that has already built meaningful U.S. private credit exposure, as many Korean pension plans and insurers have, adding European exposure is a genuine diversification of underlying risk," said Carlos Pla, head of portfolio management in Hayfin's private credit team.

Established in 2009, Hayfin is a global alternative asset manager with approximately 40 billion euros in assets under management. Through its private credit, liquid credit and private equity solutions businesses, its investment teams based in Europe and the U.S. identify opportunities for institutional investors worldwide. It operates local offices in 13 countries, including Korea.

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