Anheuser-Busch Buys Back Oriental Brewery

Anheuser-Busch InBev will re-acquire Oriental Brewery, a leading brewer in South Korea, from KKR and Affinity Equity Partners for $5.8 billion.

The acquisition returns OB to the AB InBev portfolio after AB InBev sold the company in July 2009, following the combination of InBev and Anheuser-Busch.

Since KKR and Affinity entered into partnership with OB in 2009, OB has grown to become one of the largest brewers in South Korea, driven by its Cass brand, which is now the No. 1 beer brand in the country.

AB InBev expects to build on this momentum and further develop OB and AB InBev brands including Cass, OB Golden Lager, Cafri, Budweiser, Corona and Hoegaarden.

OB will continue to be led by chief executive officer In-soo Chang and will remain headquartered in South Korea under its current name. OB will become a part of AB InBev's Asia Pacific Zone, led by zone president Michel Doukeris.