U.S. insurance giant Prudential Financial Inc. said Monday it is considering a move to sell its brokerage and asset management units in Korea after five years of operations there.

The U.S. insurer said in a statement that it is studying options to unload Prudential Investment & Securities Co. and Prudential Asset Management Co.

Sources from the local financial watchdog, meanwhile, said the U.S. insurer recently reported to the regulator that it wants to put the units up for sale after they were taken over from state-run Korea Deposit Insurance Corp. in 2003.

The latest decision by Prudential Financial comes as the U.S. insurance giant moved to readjust its business portfolio to put more focus on its backbone life insurance and asset management sectors. Local life insurance unit Prudential Life Insurance Company of Korea will not be affected by the asset sale plan.

Market watchers estimate the value of the deal could reach between 600 to 800 billion won (US$511.5-682.6 million).

Prudential Investment & Securities booked a net loss of 11 billion won in fiscal 2008 and operated 75 branches here as of the end of March.