TMTPOST -- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is on the verge of finalizing a deal to merge its South Korean operations with E-Mart Inc.'s e-commerce platform, a move aimed at strengthening their position in the country's competitive online retail market, according to sources familiar with the matter. The merger, which would combine the companies' online shopping assets, is expected to value the new entity at approximately $4 billion. The two companies are in the final stages of negotiating the terms of a joint-venture agreement, with an announcement potentially coming as early as this week, the sources said, speaking on the condition of anonymity as the discussions are private.