PRE-MARKET JAPANESE AND SOUTH KOREAN STOCKS NEWS: Japanese markets reopen from the long weekend and will get their first opportunity to react to recent US tariff developments

JAPAN

Astellas Pharma (4503 JT) - Co. entered global strategic collaboration worth USD 1.7bln with Vir Biotechnology (VIR) to advance VIR-5500 for prostate cancer, and will obtain exclusive commercialisation rights excluding the US, Co. will lead US commercialisation with Vir retaining a co-promotion option, and will pay USD 335mln in upfront and near-term milestones, with US profit/loss to be split equally, while Vir is eligible to receive up to additional USD 1.37bln in development, regulatory and sales milestones. (Newswires)

Nexon (3659 JT) - Co. board appointed Patrick Soderlund as Executive Chairman. (Newswires)

Panasonic (6752 JT) - Co. is to transfer its US and European TV sales to China's Skyworth, laying off around 12,000 employees worldwide. (Nikkei)

Seven & I (3382 JT) - Seven-Eleven Japan will this year begin supporting regenerative agriculture at a large coffee plantation in Brazil through a partnership with trading house Mitsui & Co (8031 JT). (Nikkei)

Skylark Holdings (3197 JT) - Co. and Watami (7522 JT) are setting up production facilities in Southeast Asia. (Nikkei)

SOUTH KOREA

Doosan Robotics (454910 KS) - Co. is targeting North America to cut losses amid labour shortages. (ChosunBiz)

GS Retail (007070 KS) - Co. will hold a large-scale March discount promotion across its GS25 convenience store chain for the new school term. (ChosunBiz)

Korea Zinc (010130 KS) - Co. set its AGM for March 24 and is advancing a shareholder-focused governance push. (ChosunBiz)

Lotte Corp (004990 KS) - Lotte Group will for now partner with Affinity Equity Partners and re-approach the Korea Fair Trade Commission after the regulator denied Affinity’s acquisition of Lotte Rental last month. (ChosunBiz)