Jan 19 (Reuters) - EBay Inc said on Tuesday it has started a process to explore a range of strategic alternatives for its South Korean business, which includes Gmarket, one of the largest online marketplaces in the country.

The Korea Economic Daily, a Seoul-based newspaper, reported in March last year that the e-commerce firm was looking to sell its South Korean unit in a deal that could fetch nearly $5 billion. (Reporting by Ayanti Bera in Bengaluru)