Tesco Said to Draw Bids From Carlyle, KKR for Korean Unit

Tesco Plc, the U.K.’s biggest supermarket chain, has received first-round offers from private-equity firms including Carlyle Group LP and KKR & Co. for its South Korean business, people familiar with the matter said.

Affinity Equity Partners Ltd., CVC Capital Partners Ltd. and MBK Partners Ltd. have also bid for the Homeplus supermarket unit, said the people, who asked not to be named because the information is private. Another potential buyer is Orion Corp., the Seoul-based foodmaker known for its popular Choco Pie snacks, which said Thursday it has made a preliminary offer. Homeplus could fetch more than $5 billion, people with knowledge of the matter said earlier this month.