Largest Korean Companies
based on total assets
Korean economy is dominated by a few of what's known as chaebol (재벌, 財閥, jae-buhl) groups. They're pronounced in Japanese as "zaibatsu," if you're familiar with that term, and usually known as "conglomerates" in the English speaking world. The word literally means, chae = wealth, assets and bol = family, lineage, clan. This concept of one family, or clan, owning a bulk of the largest companies and actually running and operating them is pretty unique.
The closest US equivalent of a chaebol would be the Walton family of the Walmart fame, but none of the founder Sam Walton's children actually take part in the actual management of the business. But in Korea, the 2nd and 3rd generation kids of the founders are knee-deep involved in day-to-day operations of their businesses.
Here is the list of 50 biggest companies in Korea, based on the total reported assets, not market capitalization or total revenue. You will notice that many of these companies listed here share a common name, and I will explain them.
Samsung / electronics, semiconductor, head of the Samsung Group
SK / telecom, semiconductor (SK Hynix), energy, used to be SunKyong
Hyundai Motors / automobiles, head of the Hyundai Group
LG / electronics, head of the LG Group, used to be Lucky-Goldstar
Lotte / department stores, construction, development, food and beverage
POSCO / steel, construction and development
Hanhwa / energy, solar, defense industry
GS / energy, construction, distribution, part of LG family
Hyundai Heavy Industries / shipbuilding, heavy equipment, part of Hyundai family
Nonghyup / finance, banking
Shinsegye / department stores, shopping centers, part of Samsung family
KT (Korea Telecomm) / telecom
CJ / consumer food products, entertainment (CJ ENM), part of Samsung family
Hanjin / transportation (Korean Air)
Kakao / internet (Daum, kakaotalk)
Doosan / energy, heavy industries, food and beverage (OB, Hite Beer)
LS / electronics, equipment, energy, part of LG family
DL / constructions, energy, chemicals, motorcycles
Booyoung / constructions, development
Jungheung Constructions / constructions, development
Mirae Asset / finance, asset management
Naver / internet (naver, line)
S-Oil / oil refinery, now owned by Saudi Aramco
Hyundai Department Stores / department stores, part of Hyundai family
HMM (Hyundai Merchant Marine) / despite the name, completely separate from Hyundai family
Kumho Asiana / transportation (Asiana Airlines), tire manufacturing
Harim / food processing (chicken), Korean equivalent of Tyson Foods
HDC (Hyundai Development Company) / construction, development, Hyundai family
Hyosung / industrial supplies, chemicals, constructions
Youngpoong / non-steel metals, heavy industries, bookstores
Celtrion / biotech
Kyobo Life Insurance / life insurance
Hoban Constructions / constructions
SM / construction, merchant marine, media
Netmarble / online gaming
KT&G (Korean Tobacco & Ginseng) / tobacco, ginseng
KCC / industrial supplies, constructions, part of Hyundai family
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering / shipbuilding
Nexon / online gaming
DB / finance, insurance
Taeyoung / constructions, media (SBS broadcasting)
Kolon / industrial supplies, fabrics
OCI / solar, energy
Dunamu / blockchain, crypto currencies
Seah / specialized steel
Hankook Tire / tire manufacturing
E-Land / fashion, distribution, theme parks
Taekwang / petrochemicals, finance
Kumho Petrochemicals / petrochemicals
Sinokor Merchant Marine / shipping
Other than the listed companies above,
59th is Krafton, the online gaming company that created the super popular PUBG
Halla (52nd) and Hyundai Marine and Fire Insurance (68th) are both Hyundai family
Nongshim (76th), maker of the Korean ramen noodles, is a Lotte family.
According to official numbers, annual revenues reported by the companies under the umbrella of the Samsung Group as a whole, including Samsung Electronics, SDI, Display, Securities, Life Insurance, Heavy Industries, among others, account for roughly 20% of South Korea's GDP!! No matter how you slice it, that is an inordinately gigantic number and many consider the Lee family of Samsung ownership group "untouchable."