Musinsa grapples with multiple hurdles in preliminary IPO review

Musinsa, Korea's largest fashion platform, is facing numerous challenges as it prepares to go public. The company, founded in 2001, is currently in the process of filing for a preliminary review of its initial public offering (IPO) with the Korea Exchange. According to the company, it has set a valuation of nearly 10 trillion won, or approximately $7.4 billion, for its shares.

However, this valuation comes at a time when Musinsa is grappling with slowing growth and a special tax audit. These factors have raised concerns among market watchers, who question whether investors will be willing to accept such a high valuation. The preliminary review is crucial for Musinsa as it considers IPO as one of its financing options to support its growth as a global company.

Leading the underwriting efforts are Korea Investment & Securities and Citigroup Global Markets Korea, while KB Securities and JPMorgan are joint underwriters. Musinsa's other platforms, including the women's fashion platform 29CM and the private-label brand Musinsa Standard, have also been expanding beyond online retail by increasing their offline presence and entering overseas markets. The company has internally valued itself at about 10 trillion won, which is roughly triple its current market value.