Korean insurers raising foreign, alts exposure amid new proposals

Korean insurance firms are expected to further raise their overseas and alternative asset exposure as a result of plans by the local regulator to relax rules on allocations and lift ownership restrictions on investment subsidiaries. It is hoped that such moves will help local insurance firms boost yields, which have been falling in recent years. “Insurers have no choice but to look for higher returns outside Korea,” said Yang Sung-Nak, chief representative for Korea at Standard Li…