Life Asset Management

What Life Asset Management does

Life Asset Management (주식회사 라이프자산운용) is a Seoul-based private asset management firm founded in June 2021 by former Korea Investment Value Asset Management professionals, including Chairman ChaiWon Lee, Co-CEO Nam DuWoo, and CIO Darren Kang. The firm pioneered Korea's first shareholder cooperation ("engagement") activist hedge fund, deploying an "Enhanced Value Investing" framework that combines traditional bottom-up value analysis with macro and capital flow overlays, paired with a non-confrontational engagement strategy targeting Korean listed companies on KOSPI and KOSDAQ that exhibit governance deficits, inefficient capital allocation, or conglomerate discount dynamics. The firm focuses on a concentrated 15-20 name portfolio (top 5 representing roughly half of AUM) and pursues multi-year structural change with portfolio company management rather than confrontational activism.

The product suite spans flagship engagement funds (Life Korea Corporate ESG Enhancement 1, Life Engagement), an Institutional Active KOSPI product (~KRW 240 billion), a KOSDAQ Venture strategy, venture and secondary private funds (SNU-LIFE Mission Venture Fund 1; 2024 IBKC-Life Secondary Mezzanine Fund at KRW 1,030 billion), and the ACE Life Asset Shareholder Value Active ETF co-developed with Korea Investment Trust Management for retail access. The firm reports AUM of KRW 5,648 billion (USD 3.67 billion) as of June 2026 per KOFIA, a 23x increase in four years, with offshore-advised AUM above USD 200 million and a track record of 57% cumulative outperformance vs. market since inception and 34.08% in 2023.

Revenue is generated through asset management fees (recurring, AUM-linked) and performance fees, with a sales-led GTM targeting institutional investors (Government Employees Pension Service, Korea Investment Corporation, insurance), qualified individual investors, and engagement counterparties at portfolio companies. Distribution combines direct institutional sales with channel partnerships — notably the ACE Asset Management / Korea Investment Trust Management ETF structure and Eugene Asset Management's 223 billion KRW feeder. The firm is independent and employee-owned, with 11-50 employees, and was awarded 2023 Creative Hedge Fund Manager of the Year at the Korea Wealth Management Awards.

Name

Life Asset Management

Legal name

주식회사 라이프자산운용

Website

https://investlife.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Life Asset Management is a Seoul-based, employee-owned private asset manager founded in 2021 that pioneered Korea's first shareholder cooperation engagement activist fund, managing KRW 5,648 billion (USD 3.67B) across KOSPI/KOSDAQ equities for institutional and qualified investors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Asset Management — Engagement Activist Investing

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Open-End Investment Funds (525910), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable/ESG Equity (Active) (FSAAAIAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Large-Cap Equity (Active) (FSAAAIAA)

Keywords

• Engagement investing
• Value investing
• Asset management
• Activist hedge fund
• Corporate governance

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Management Fees (운용보수): Fees charged based on assets under management. Primary revenue stream as an asset management firm.
2. Asset Management Fees (자산관리수수료): Fees from managing investment funds and providing investment advisory services.
3. Performance Fees: Success-based fees from generating returns through engagement activities and investment performance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Life Asset Management is an engagement-focused asset management firm that invests in Korean listed companies and offers funds built around an "Enhanced Value Investing" approach combined with shareholder cooperation (engagement) strategies. It sells engagement activist funds, public equity funds, a venture fund, a secondary fund, and a co-developed ETF to institutional and qualified investors, charging management fees on AUM and performance fees on returns.

Product overview

Life Asset Management operates as an engagement-focused asset management firm offering a diversified portfolio of investment products. The core offering includes engagement funds (Life Korea Corporate ESG Enhancement 1, Life Engagement) that pursue shareholder cooperation strategies, public equity funds (Institutional Active), and venture/debt funds (KOSDAQ Venture Fund, SNU-LIFE venture fund, secondary funds). The firm also partners with Korea Investment Trust to offer the ACE 라이프자산주주가치액티브 ETF, providing retail investors access to their value investing strategy through exchange-traded products. The investment philosophy centers on Enhanced Value Investing combined with proactive shareholder engagement to improve corporate governance and capital allocation in Korean listed companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Life Korea Corporate ESG Enhancement 1 Engagement fund that invests in Korean companies willing to work together on ESG and corporate governance improvements, generating 40.2% returns since inception in July 2021. Targeted at institutional and qualified investors seeking long-term value with sustainability outcomes.
• Life Engagement Fund Pro-active activism fund focused on improving corporate governance and capital allocation through shareholder cooperation with portfolio companies. For institutional investors seeking engagement-style Korean equity exposure.
• Institutional Active Fund
• KOSDAQ Venture Fund Fund applying Life's core value/engagement strategy to unlisted stocks on KOSDAQ, targeting high-growth potential companies. For qualified and institutional investors.
• ACE Life Asset Shareholder Value Active ETF (ACE 라이프자산주주가치액티브 ETF) Exchange-traded fund co-developed with Korea Investment Trust Management, investing in large-cap Korean value stocks with high potential for shareholder return improvements. NAV reached KRW 100+ billion; 65.18% year-to-date return as of May 2024. Provides retail and institutional investors access to Life's value + engagement strategy via a liquid ETF wrapper.
• SNU-LIFE Mission Venture Investment Fund 1 (SNU-LIFE 미션 벤처투자조합 1호) Venture fund co-established with Seoul National University Technology Holdings for venture company discovery and investment, with a 10 billion KRW target size. For institutional and qualified investors seeking venture exposure with corporate governance angle.
• 2024 IBKC-Life Secondary Mezzanine Private Fund (2024 아이비케이씨-라이프 세컨더리 메자닌私募) 1,030 billion KRW secondary fund co-formed with IBK Capital, providing secondary market exposure. For institutional investors seeking large-cap private equity secondaries.
• Eugene Life Value Partners General Private Investment Trust (유진라이프밸류파트너스일반사모투자신탁) 223 billion KRW private investment trust created by Eugene Asset Management that invests in Life Asset Management's funds as core assets. For investors seeking feeder access to Life's engagement strategies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 57% outperformance vs market since inception
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Korea Investment Trust Management (한국투자신탁운용)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 October 2024Partnership for ACE Life Asset Shareholder Value Active ETF - Life Asset Management provides investment advisory for the ETF that invests in large-cap value stocks with shareholder return potential
• Eugene Asset Management (유진자산운용)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2024Eugene Asset Management created a fund that invests in Life Asset Management's funds - 'Eugene Life Value Partners General Private Investment Trust' with 223 billion KRW size
• SNU Technology Holdings (서울대기술지주)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2024Jointly formed 'SNU-LIFE Mission Venture Investment Fund 1' with 10 billion KRW target size to discover and invest in venture companies
• Ewha Womans University Graduate School of Business (이화여자대학교 경영전문대학원)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for cultivating female independent directors and developing professionals in corporate governance
• Korea Investment Value Asset Management (한국투자밸류자산운용)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer parent company; selected together with GEPS as domestic equity managers

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Elliott Investment Management: Global multi-strategy fund with a large Korean equity and Asia presence, including high-profile activist campaigns at Korean chaebols. Overlaps in Korea-focused engagement but operates across multiple strategies and geographies at much larger scale.
• Pershing Square Capital Management: Concentrated, activist-oriented public equity fund pursuing structural value creation at portfolio companies. Comparable in concentrated long-term engagement model, though operating at much larger scale and primarily in US/European markets.

Direct peers

• Trian Partners: Engagement-focused activist fund partnering with management teams to enhance operational and capital allocation discipline. Comparable long-duration, concentrated engagement model targeting large-cap companies.
• Dalton Investments: Korea-active value investor known for shareholder engagement and governance advocacy. Compares in long-term Korean value approach and willingness to engage companies on capital allocation and governance.
• ValueAct Capital: US-based activist fund famous for constructive, engagement-driven investing in undervalued companies. Closest international analog to Life AM's cooperative engagement philosophy, with comparable single-fund concentration and multi-year structural thesis approach.
• H Partners Management: Korea-focused activist fund pursuing governance improvements and capital allocation changes at undervalued Korean companies. Direct comparison to Life AM in cooperative engagement philosophy and Korean activist mandate.
• Korea Investment Value Asset Management: Former parent entity of Life Asset Management; operates adjacent Korean equity value strategies and was selected alongside Life AM for GEPS domestic equity mandates. Directly comparable in mandate focus, Korean value investing approach, and institutional client base.

Emerging players

• KCFT (Korean Corporate Governance Fund): Korean governance-focused activist fund pursuing shareholder value through engagement with chaebol-controlled listed companies. Directly comparable in Korea-centric engagement strategy with narrower scope than Life AM.

Regional players

• MBK Partners: Korea's largest homegrown private equity firm focusing on Korean consumer and corporate carve-outs. Comparable in Korea-focused corporate governance activism and influence on chaebol structures, though operates in private equity rather than public equities.
• BNK Securities (BNK투자증권): Korean domestic asset manager with comparable institutional pension fund mandates and Korean equity strategies. Overlaps in target client base (Korean pensions, institutional LPs) and Korean equity value mandate focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/life-asset-management

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Life Asset Management