KTB Securities, South Korea’s biggest private equity fund, is aggressively seeking to penetrate south-east Asia and the US to become a leading investment bank in the region.

KTB, which was established in 1981 as a venture capital specialist, has become the most influential private equity fund in South Korea with more than $1bn (£564m, €693m) assets under investment. The company, which boasts average investment returns of more than 20 per cent, aims to generate half of its profit from overseas markets in the long run.