Carlyle Group LP agreed to buy Tyco International Ltd.’s fire and security business in South Korea for $1.93 billion, the country’s largest private-equity buyout deal in U.S. dollar value in more than five years. Tyco is selling Tyco Fire & Security Services Korea Co. and units that form the ADT Korea security business, the company said.

Switzerland-based Tyco said net cash proceeds are expected to be $1.85 billion, and the board added $1.75 billion to its stock buyback authority, for a total of $2 billion.

“ADT Korea is a highly stable and profitable business with attractive market positioning, strong brand power and excellent cash flow profile,” Sanghyun Lee, managing director on the Asia buyout team for Washington-based Carlyle, said in a statement. Lee said South Korea’s security industry is “under-penetrated.”

Carlyle’s purchase follows investments of more than $920 million of equity in 17 transactions in South Korea as of Dec. 31, 2013 and is also the largest private-equity buyout in the country since 2008, according to the company.

The firm’s current and former investments in Korea include KorAm Bank, Hyundai HCN, EO Technics, Tapex and Yakjin Trading. Equity for the transaction will come from Carlyle Asia Partners IV and Carlyle Partners VI, Carlyle said.
[…]