이 기사는 2022년 05월 09일 07:56 thebell 에 표출된 기사입니다.

Our Home, a South Korean catering service provider, is up for sale, but it may not be able to attract sufficient interest from potential buyers due to a family dispute over control of the company.

La Défense Partners, which is managing the sale process, recently sent a teaser to potential buyers for 38.57% and 19.28% stakes in Our Home held by Koo Bon-sung, the company’s former vice chairman, and his sister Mi-hyun, according to sources.

Potential buyers could show interest in the company at an early stage of the sale process, but few of them may have authentic intentions to buy, industry watchers said.

That is not because of Our Home’s fundamentals or upside potential, but because of an ongoing dispute between Koo Bon-sung and his other sister Ji-eun, the current vice chairman of Our Home, over control of the company.

Potential buyers, especially private equity firms, may not want to risk their reputation by being involved in the family dispute. Moreover, according to the company’s articles of association, any sale of shares by its existing shareholders requires the board’s approval.

Our Home is almost wholly owned by the Koo siblings. They have the right to first refusal to buy each other’s stakes.


Koo Ji-eun is said to be preparing to take action against a sale of a majority stake in the company by her brother and sister, strengthening her influence within the board and consulting M&A experts.

A high price tag could also make the company less attractive to potential buyers. The 57.85% stake is estimated to be worth about 1 trillion won ($785.8 million). But Koo Bon-sung and Koo Mi-hyun are reportedly seeking to sell their stakes for 1.5 trillion won or more. (Reporting by Gyoung-tae Kim)