The Korea Fund, Inc.

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM N-Q

 

 

QUARTERLY SCHEDULE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS OF REGISTERED

MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY

Investment Company Act file number: 811-04058

 

 

The Korea Fund, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

 

 

 

555 Mission Street, Suite 1700,                      
          San Francisco, CA                        94105
(Address of principal executive offices)                    (Zip code)

 

 

Lawrence G. Altadonna

1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 212-739-3371

Date of fiscal year end: June 30, 2013

Date of reporting period: September 30, 2012

 

 

 


Item 1. Schedules of Investments

The Korea Fund, Inc. Schedule of Investments

September 30, 2012 (unaudited)

 

Shares

        Value*  

COMMON STOCK—97.6%

  

Air Freight & Logistics—1.4%

  

26,612

       Hyundai Glovis Co., Ltd.    $ 5,804,515   
     

 

 

 

Auto Components—7.6%

  

65,553

       Hyundai Mobis      18,224,059   

473,460

       Nexen Tire Corp. (d)      8,261,803   

296,369

       Pyeong Hwa Automotive Co., Ltd.      4,597,487   
     

 

 

 
        31,083,349   
     

 

 

 

Automobiles—9.1%

  

94,059

       Hyundai Motor Co.      21,215,658   

255,612

       Kia Motors Corp.      15,882,026   
     

 

 

 
        37,097,684   
     

 

 

 

Chemicals—6.8%

  

26,076

       Honam Petrochemical Corp.      6,152,028   

44,169

       LG Chemical Ltd.      13,056,837   

217,681

       SKC Co., Ltd. (d)      8,533,953   
     

 

 

 
        27,742,818   
     

 

 

 

Commercial Banks—6.6%

  

334,414

       DGB Financial Group, Inc.      4,401,074   

173,370

       Hana Financial Group, Inc.      5,287,570   

229,440

       KB Financial Group, Inc.      8,132,593   

264,262

       Shinhan Financial Group Co., Ltd.      8,981,884   
     

 

 

 
        26,803,121   
     

 

 

 

Construction & Engineering—4.6%

  

372,340

       Hyundai Development Co. (d)      7,393,387   

110,273

       Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.      6,646,448   

27,129

       Samsung Engineering Co., Ltd.      4,654,928   
     

 

 

 
        18,694,763   
     

 

 

 

Consumer Finance—0.7%

  

81,988

       Samsung Card Co., Ltd.      2,939,586   
     

 

 

 

Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components—2.2%

  

356,105

       LG Display Co., Ltd. (b)      9,011,503   
     

 

 

 

Food Products—0.4%

  

1,001

       Lotte Confectionery Co., Ltd.      1,398,604   
     

 

 

 

Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure—2.5%

  

207,952

       Hotel Shilla Co., Ltd.      10,335,384   
     

 

 

 

Household Durables—1.2%

  

80,465

       LG Electronics, Inc. (d)      4,969,574   
     

 

 

 

Household Products—2.5%

  

17,833

       LG Household & Health Care Ltd. (d)      10,155,955   
     

 

 

 


The Korea Fund, Inc. Schedule of Investments

September 30, 2012 (unaudited) (continued)

 

Shares

        Value*  

Industrial Conglomerates—1.4%

  

104,026

       LG Corp.    $ 5,781,468   
     

 

 

 

Insurance—3.0%

  

21,155

       Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co., Ltd.      4,526,646   

88,339

       Samsung Life Insurance Co., Ltd.      7,612,450   
     

 

 

 
        12,139,096   
     

 

 

 

Internet & Catalog Retail—1.4%

  

52,503

       Hyundai Home Shopping Network Corp.      5,650,719   
     

 

 

 

Machinery—2.3%

  

273,620

       Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.      9,193,865   
     

 

 

 

Metals & Mining—8.0%

  

65,544

       Hyundai Steel Co.      5,165,605   

34,107

       Korea Zinc Co., Ltd.      14,844,057   

38,852

       POSCO      12,714,597   
     

 

 

 
        32,724,259   
     

 

 

 

Multiline Retail—1.0%

  

252,985

       Hyundai Greenfood Co., Ltd.      4,217,528   
     

 

 

 

Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels—1.1%

  

73,165

       GS Holdings      4,356,009   
     

 

 

 

Pharmaceuticals—1.2%

  

52,903

       Dong-A Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (d)      4,960,314   
     

 

 

 

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment—24.8%

  

347,321

       SK Hynix, Inc. (b)      7,058,585   

77,991

       Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.      93,986,819   
     

 

 

 
        101,045,404   
     

 

 

 

Software—1.2%

  

23,291

       NCSoft Corp.      4,974,955   
     

 

 

 

Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods—1.6%

  

100,273

       Fila Korea Ltd.      6,531,425   
     

 

 

 

Tobacco—1.6%

  

83,682

       KT&G Corp.      6,377,277   
     

 

 

 

Trading Companies & Distributors—3.4%

  

173,270

       Hyundai Corp.      3,617,160   

176,322

       Samsung C&T Corp.      10,401,536   
     

 

 

 
        14,018,696   
     

 

 

 
  

    Total Common Stock (cost—$260,102,735)

     398,007,871   
     

 

 

 


The Korea Fund, Inc. Schedule of Investments

September 30, 2012 (unaudited) (continued)

 

Shares

        Value*  

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS—5.4%

  

Collateral Invested for Securities on Loan (c)—4.8%

  

19,508,308

       BNY Institutional Cash Reserves Fund, 0.169% (cost—$19,508,308)    $ 19,508,308   
     

 

 

 

 

Principal
Amount

(000s)

           

Time Deposits—0.6%

  
       Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.—Grand Cayman,   

HKD 5

           0.005%, 10/1/12      595   

¥547

           0.01%, 10/1/12      7,014   

$2,587

       Citibank—London, 0.03%, 10/1/12      2,586,668   
       JPMorgan Chase—London,   

£19

           0.054%, 10/1/12      30,177   
     

 

 

 
       Total Time Deposits (cost—$2,623,797)      2,624,454   
     

 

 

 
       Total Short-Term Investments (cost—$22,132,105)      22,132,762   
     

 

 

 
       Total Investments (cost—$282,234,840) (a)(e)—103.0%      420,140,633   
       Liabilities in excess of other assets—(3.0)%      (12,450,915
     

 

 

 
       Net Assets—100.0%    $ 407,689,718   
     

 

 

 


Notes to Schedule of Investments:

 

* Portfolio securities and other financial instruments for which market quotations are readily available are stated at market value. Market value is generally determined on the basis of last reported sales prices, or if no sales are reported, on the basis of quotes obtained from a quotation reporting system, established market makers, or independent pricing services. An investment in a mutual fund is valued at its closing net asset value per share as reported on each business day.

Portfolio securities and other financial instruments for which market quotations are not readily available, or for which a development/event occurs that may significantly impact the value of a security, are fair-valued, in good faith, pursuant to procedures established by the Board of Directors, or persons acting at their discretion pursuant to procedures established by the Board of Directors. The Fund’s investments are valued daily and the net asset value (“NAV”) is calculated as of the close of regular trading (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) on each day the NYSE is open for business using prices supplied by dealer quotations, or by using the last sale price on the exchange that is the primary market for such securities, or the last quoted mean price for those securities for which the over-the-counter market is the primary market or for listed securities in which there were no sales. For foreign equity securities (with certain exceptions, if any), the Fund fair values its securities daily using modeling tools provided by a statistical research service. This service utilizes statistics and programs based on historical performance of markets and other economic data (which may include changes in the value of U.S. securities or security indices).

Short-term securities maturing in 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost, if their original term to maturity was 60 days or less, or by amortizing their value on the 61st day prior to maturity, if the original term to maturity exceeded 60 days. Investments initially valued in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted to the U.S. dollar using exchange rates obtained from pricing services. As a result, the NAV of the Fund’s shares may be affected by changes in the value of currencies in relation to the U.S. dollar. The value of securities traded in markets outside the United States or denominated in currencies other than U.S. dollar may be affected significantly on a day that the NYSE is closed. The prices used by the Fund to value securities may differ from the value that would be realized if the securities were sold and these differences could be material.

 

(a) Securities with an aggregate value of $391,630,594, representing 96.1% of net assets, were valued utilizing modeling tools provided by a third-party vendor.

 

(b) Non-income producing.

 

(c) Purchased with cash collateral received from securities on loan.

 

(d) A portion of securities on loan with an aggregate market value of $18,541,850; cash collateral of $19,508,308 was received with which the Fund invested in the BNY Institutional Cash Reserves Fund.

 

(e) At September 30, 2012, the cost basis of portfolio securities for federal income tax purposes was $283,391,558. Gross unrealized appreciation was $147,100,189; gross unrealized depreciation was $10,351,114; and net unrealized appreciation was $136,749,075. The difference between book and tax cost basis was attributable to wash sale loss deferrals.

Glossary:

£—British Pound

HKD—Hong Kong Dollar

¥—Japanese Yen


Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e. the “exit price”) in an orderly transaction between market participants. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:

 

   

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical investments that the Fund has the ability to access

 

   

Level 2 – valuations based on other significant observable inputs, which may include, but are not limited to, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, interest rates, yield curves, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss severities, credit risks and default rates or other market corroborated inputs

 

   

Level 3 – valuations based on significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s sub-adviser, RCM Asia Pacific Limited or Valuation Committee’s own assumptions and single broker quotes in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities. The following are certain inputs and techniques that the Fund generally uses to evaluate how to classify each major category of assets and liabilities for level 2 and level 3, in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

Equity Securities (Common and Preferred Stock)—Equity securities traded in inactive markets and certain foreign equity securities are valued using inputs which include broker-dealer quotes, recently executed transactions adjusted for changes in the benchmark index, or evaluated price quotes received from independent pricing services that take into account the integrity of the market sector and issuer, the individual characteristics of the security, and information received from broker-dealers and other market sources pertaining to the issuer or security. To the extent that these inputs are observable, the values of equity securities are categorized as Level 2. To the extent that these inputs are unobservable, the values are categorized as Level 3.

The valuation techniques used by the Fund to measure fair value during the three months ended September 30, 2012 were intended to maximize the use of observable inputs and to minimize the use of unobservable inputs.

The Fund’s policy is to recognize transfers between levels at the end of the reporting period. An investment asset’s or liability’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level input, individually or in aggregate, that is significant to the fair value measurement. The objective of fair value measurement remains the same even when there is a significant decrease in the volume and level of activity for an asset or liability and regardless of the valuation techniques used. Assets categorized as Level 1 or 2 as of period end may have been transferred between Levels 1 and 2 since the prior period due to changes in the valuation method utilized in valuing the investments.

A summary of the inputs used at September 30, 2012 in valuing the Fund’s assets and liabilities is listed below (refer to the Schedule of Investments for more detailed information on Investments in Securities):

 

     Level 1 -
Quoted Prices
     Level 2 -
Other Significant
Observable
Inputs
     Level 3 -
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
     Value at
9/30/12
 

Investments in Securities—Assets

           

Common Stock:

           

Tobacco

   $ 6,377,277         —           —         $ 6,377,277   

All Other

     —         $ 391,630,594         —           391,630,594   

Short-Term Investments

     —           22,132,762         —           22,132,762   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $ 6,377,277       $ 413,763,356         —         $ 420,140,633   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

At September 30, 2012, there were no transfers between Levels 1 and 2.


Item 2. Controls and Procedures

(a) The registrant’s President & Chief Executive Officer and Treasurer, Principal Financial & Accounting Officer have concluded that the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Act (17 CFR 270.30a-3(c))), are effective based on their evaluation of these controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this document.

(b) There were no significant changes in the registrant’s internal controls over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Act (17 CFR 270.30a-3(d))) that occurred during the registrant’s last fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Item 3. Exhibits

(a) Exhibit 99.302 Cert.—Certification pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

Registrant: The Korea Fund, Inc.
By:  

/s/ Christian W. Pachtner

  Christian W. Pachtner
  President & Chief Executive Officer

Date: November 23, 2012

 

By:  

/s/ Brian S. Shlissel

  Brian S. Shlissel
  Treasurer, Principal Financial & Accounting Officer

Date: November 23, 2012

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

By:

  /s/ Christian W. Pachtner
  Christian W. Pachtner
  President & Chief Executive Officer

Date: November 23, 2012

 

By:

  /s/ Brian S. Shlissel
  Brian S. Shlissel
  Treasurer, Principal Financial & Accounting Officer

Date: November 23, 2012