Wal-Mart to Exit South Korea

New York City, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said South Korea's Shinsegae Co. agreed to buy Wal-Mart's South Korean retail business for 825 billion won, or $882 million. Shinsegae said plans to operate Wal-Mart Korea as a separate subsidiary and the stores will be renamed E-Mart, the name of its discount chain that accounts for about 30% of the local discount store market. “As we continue to focus our efforts where we can have the greatest impact on our growth strategy, it became increasingly clear that in South Korea's current environment it would be difficult for us to reach the scale we desired," Mike Duke, VP of Wal-Mart, said in a statement.