Harim chairman says to consider acquiring HMM if it again put up for sale

The chairman of Harim Group said Wednesday that he would consider acquiring HMM Co. if the nation's top container shipper is again put up for sale. A consortium led by Harim was picked as the preferred bidder late last year for an acquisition of HMM, but talks with the shipper's main creditor, state-run Korea Development Bank, eventually broke down in February as the two sides failed to narrow some differences. Harim Chairman Kim Hong-kuk told reporters that he would "review it again" if HMM is put up for sale. Asked whether Harim still has an intention to acquire HMM, Kim replied that it would depend on whether the government would have "sincerity" about the potential sale of the shipper. In March, Oceans Minister Kang Do-hyung said his ministry has been in discussions with relevant authorities with regard to restarting the sale process for HMM. Source: Yonhap News Agency