Karl, Is LG Semicon a big customer for MEMC? It looks like they could have at least a short term financing problem should they remain stubborn about joining Hyundai. On the other hand, if Hyundai is a good customer and LG is not, perhaps MEMC can win LG's business when they join, or loose it if Hyundai is not favorable to MEMC. Finally if both companies are buying large quantities of wafers from MEMC, it would seem there is little to gain from this merger.
Regards, Mark
Banks halt loans to LG Semicon
By CNET News.com Staff
December 28, 1998, 12:20 p.m. PT
Banks halted loans to LG Semicon today, accusing it of fighting a promised merger that would create the world's second-largest computer memory chipmaker, according to the Associated Press.
The government of President Kim Dae-jung's wants LG Semicon to merge with Hyundai Electronics Industry to cut out overlapping investments by the country's computer chipmakers and boost their competitiveness.
Hyundai and LG, the nation's largest and third largest conglomerates, agreed in September to merge their chipmaking subsidiaries. But talks have hit an impasse because of a fight over who should rule the merged company.
The government supports a U.S. consulting firm's recommendation that Hyundai become the majority shareholder in the new venture. LG says it cannot accept the proposal because it was biased in favor of Hyundai.
LG Semicon's 13 creditor banks, most of them state-controlled, today held LG responsible for foiling the merger and stopped providing new funds to the heavily indebted company, according to the wire service.
The banks threatened to call in LG Semicon's existing loans as well unless it accepts the merger.
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