This year, Lotte returned to 5th place, surpassing POSCO in the asset rankings of large conglomerates, while NongHyup climbed to 9th place, pushing GS out. Thanks to the recovery of the semiconductor market, SK achieved a net income of 17.8 trillion won, recording the highest revenue. In contrast, the steel and petrochemical sectors struggled due to poor market conditions.
On the 1st, the Fair Trade Commission announced that it designated 92 corporations as 'the disclosure-targeted corporate groups for 2025.' Among them, the top 10 groups were Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor, LG, Lotte, POSCO, Hanwha, HD Hyundai, NongHyup, and GS.
Lotte's total assets increased from 129.8 trillion won to 143.3 trillion won due to land asset reevaluation, moving it up from 6th to 5th place. POSCO, on the other hand, saw its asset increase by only 9 billion won (from 136.9 trillion won to 137.8 trillion won), resulting in a drop of one rank.
NongHyup's assets increased to 80.1 trillion won due to the expansion of the lending margin, allowing it to rise to 9th place, pushing down GS, which saw its assets shrink from 80.8 trillion won to 79.3 trillion won, landing it at 10th place.
In the mid-tier, Hanjin Logistics climbed two spots to 12th place, expanding its assets from 39.1 trillion won to 58.2 trillion won through the acquisition of Asiana Airlines. Kumho Asiana Airlines saw its assets shrink to 3.4 trillion won due to the exclusion of Asiana Airlines from its group, resulting in its removal from the disclosure-targeted corporate groups in February this year.
In terms of profitability, SK stood out significantly. Its net income increased by 17.8 trillion won compared to the previous year due to improvements in the semiconductor market, leading it to the top of the performance charts. Hyundai Motor also recorded a profit increase of 3.2 trillion won thanks to strong global sales and sales of high-value vehicles, while HMM added 2.7 trillion won in profit due to rising freight rates and favorable exchange rates.
In contrast, Lotte (-3.8 trillion won), LG (-3 trillion won), and Samsung (-2.7 trillion won) saw decreases in their net income. Lotte was affected by falling oil prices, LG faced sluggish display and electric vehicle markets, and Samsung was hindered by decreased dividend income from overseas subsidiaries.
The total revenue of all disclosure-targeted corporate groups rose by 100.4 trillion won compared to the previous year, reaching 2,007.7 trillion won, a 5.3% increase. Among them, Samsung reported an increase of 36.8 trillion won in revenue due to higher semiconductor sales, Hanjin Logistics saw an increase of 10.8 trillion won due to the effect of acquiring Asiana Airlines, and Coupang expanded its revenue by 9.5 trillion won driven by growth in the logistics delivery sector.
Conversely, Ecopro (-5.2 trillion won), Jungheung Construction (-2.6 trillion won), and GS (-2.5 trillion won) suffered declines in revenue due to severe impacts from the electric vehicle market, the construction market, and falling oil prices, respectively.
According to the Fair Trade Commission, the top 5 groups (Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor, LG, and Lotte) still account for well over half of the total assets, revenues, and profits among all disclosure-targeted corporate groups. When expanded to the top 10 groups, the share exceeds 90%.
A Fair Trade Commission official noted, 'Changes in external conditions, mergers and acquisitions, and market restructuring are causing significant fluctuations in assets and rankings,' adding, 'We hope that market monitoring will be strengthened and that corporate groups will be encouraged to improve their governance voluntarily.'