According to Yonhap News,

(SEOUL = Yonhap News) Corporate merger and acquisition (M&A) activities in South Korea had a remarkable start to the year with a total of 67 deals valued at a combined US$25.3 billion reported during the first quarter, data showed Wednesday.

According to the data compiled by the U.K.-based information provider Mergermarket Group, this marks the highest valued quarter on record since 2001 and is also more than double the previous quarter.

The value of the deals posted during the January-March period account for 76.7 percent of the $33 billion recorded during the whole of 2013, they showed.

The top deal during the first quarter was the acquisition of the remaining 63.5 percent stake in Hanjin Shipping Co. by its shareholder Hanjin Shipping Holdings Co. for $7.7 billion, followed by Anheuser-Busch InBev's acquisition of Oriental Brewery for $5.8 billion and Samsung SDI Co.'s merger with Cheil Industries Inc. for $3.39 billion.

The Carlyle Group LLC's acquisition of Tyco Fire & Security Services Korea Co. ranked fourth at $1.93 billion, the data showed.

Belgium became the top foreign acquirer in South Korea with the Oriental Brewery deal, its third-largest investment ever made.

The transport sector was the most targeted by value in the first quarter at $9.2 billion, trailed by the consumer and industrials & chemicals sectors with $5.98 billion and $5.68 billion, respectively, according to the data.

Deutsche Bank topped the list of financial advisers by value with $7.99 billion, while PwC remained at the top in terms of volume with nine deals.

Kim & Chang retained the top spot in both legal adviser league tables by value at $15.49 billion, while Lee & Ko was at the top of the list in terms of the number of deals at 21, the data showed.