10% of listed firms hire foreign executives in 2011

One out of 10 Korean listed companies had at least one foreign executive last year, with Samsung Electronics Co. having the highest number, data showed Tuesday.

The number of companies with foreign executives stood at 85 last year, or 11.6 percent of the 731 firms listed on the main bourse, according to the data compiled for the first time by the Korea Listed Companies Association.

Foreign C-suite members at the listed companies numbered 189, or 1.3 percent of the entire 14,862 executives hired by them.

Market bellwether Samsung had the largest number with 16 foreign executives, followed by world's No. 3 mobile phone maker LG Electronics Co. with 9, and Ssangyong Motors Co., the country's smallest automaker, with 8.

By nationality, Japan ranked first, accounting for 36 percent of the total. The United States followed with 29.6 percent, trailed by India with 7.4 percent, according to the data. (Yonhap)