![Representatives of the Korean government and Lone Star Funds wait to pass through security at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes in Washington in May 2015. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2022/08/31/d2371e07-2372-41e4-839d-3ccdd90ed6ab.jpg)
An international tribunal has ordered the Korean government to pay U.S. private equity firm Lone Star Funds $216.5 million in compensation.
The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes delivered the ruling on Tuesday in response to a damages suit filed by Lone Star Funds against the Korean government in 2012.
Lone Star had filed for $4.68 billion in damages. The private equity firm claimed it was forced to pay unfair taxes and suffered losses due to the Korean government’s delay in approving a deal to sell a controlling stake in the now-defunct Korea Exchange Bank to HSBC.
Lone Star acquired the KEB stake for 1.38 trillion won ($1.03 billion) in 2003.
BY JIN MIN-JI [jin.minji@joongang.co.kr]
