Top 5 conglomerates add $310.7 bil. in assets over 5 years

Citizens walk past Samsung Group's headquarters in southern Seoul, Oct. 14. Yonhap

The combined assets of Korea's top five conglomerates surged by 445 trillion won ($310.7 billion) over the past five years, with Samsung, SK and Hyundai Motor Group leading the growth, a local corporate tracker said Wednesday.

The total assets of the five leading business groups, including LG and Lotte, reached 1,588 trillion won in 2024, up 39 percent from 1,143 trillion won in 2019, according to data compiled by CEO Score.

In an analysis of 52 conglomerates with comparable asset data between 2019 and 2024, CEO Score found that their combined assets increased by 811.8 trillion won, or 42.8 percent, to 2,709.1 trillion won last year from 1,897.3 trillion won in 2019.

Samsung Group posted the largest single-group increase, with its assets rising 164 trillion won, or 38.7 percent, from 424.8 trillion won to 589.1 trillion won during the cited period.

SK Group's assets expanded 137.4 trillion won, or 60.9 percent, from 225.5 trillion won to 362.9 trillion won, while Hyundai Motor Group's assets climbed 71.9 trillion won, or 30.6 percent, from 234.7 trillion won to 306.6 trillion won.

"The increased corporate value of SK hynix helped lift SK Group's assets, while strong global sales and expansion into electric vehicle batteries and mobility solutions boosted Hyundai Motor Group's asset growth," CEO Score said.

Samsung, SK and Hyundai Motor Group also maintained their positions as Korea's top three conglomerates in terms of revenue and operating profit over the same period.

Among the 52 groups surveyed, only three — Kyobo Life Insurance, Booyoung Group and Doosan Group — saw their total assets decline compared with five years earlier.