The rankings of the top seven conglomerates remained unchanged, but significant shifts occurred below the eighth position. LS Group, led by Chairman Koo Ja-eun, saw a substantial rise, while Kakao, founded by Kim Beom-soo, experienced the largest drop. Hyosung Group also made notable gains, benefiting from the surge in demand for AI-driven power infrastructure.
On September 21, Ajou Economics reported that LS Group's market capitalization increased from 20.74 trillion won on September 18 last year to 57.8 trillion won this year, a rise of 37.7 trillion won (178.8%). Consequently, the group's ranking jumped from 14th to 8th place.
LS Group capitalized on the strong performance of stocks related to power infrastructure, including electrical equipment and cables. Expectations surrounding increased investment in AI data centers and the expansion of power grids significantly boosted the valuations of key subsidiaries like LS ELECTRIC and LS, leading to an overall increase in the group's market capitalization.
Notably, LS Group, which lagged behind companies like POSCO, Celltrion, Kakao, Naver, HMM, and Youngpoong just a year ago, has now surpassed them to enter the top 10 in market capitalization. In contrast, Kakao Group faced a downward trend. Its market capitalization fell from approximately 54 trillion won on September 18 last year to 33.48 trillion won this year, a decrease of 20.53 trillion won (38.0%). The group's ranking dropped from 8th to 11th place.
As Kakao fell, LS climbed to 8th, while POSCO Group maintained 9th place and Celltrion Group held steady at 10th. POSCO Group's market capitalization rose from 48.38 trillion won to 56.02 trillion won, an increase of 7.64 trillion won (15.8%). Celltrion Group also saw a rise from 41.25 trillion won to 43.47 trillion won, a 5.4% increase.
Hyosung Group's ascent was particularly notable, with its market capitalization growing from 17.49 trillion won last year to 32.91 trillion won this year, an increase of 15.42 trillion won (88.2%). The group moved up four spots from 16th to 12th place. Conversely, Naver Group's market capitalization decreased from 37.41 trillion won to 30.07 trillion won, a drop of 7.34 trillion won (19.6%), resulting in a two-spot decline from 11th to 13th. Youngpoong Group's market capitalization increased from 21.18 trillion won to 25.97 trillion won, a rise of 22.6%, but its ranking fell from 13th to 14th. Hanjin Group maintained its 15th position with a market capitalization increase from 19.59 trillion won to 22.77 trillion won, a growth of 16.3%.
Below the 16th position, the fluctuations were even more pronounced. Mirae Asset Group's market capitalization rose from 14.69 trillion won to 20.73 trillion won, a 41.1% increase, moving it up four spots from 20th to 16th.
GS Group experienced a more significant rise, with its market capitalization increasing from 12.92 trillion won to 19.89 trillion won, a 54.0% increase, propelling it from 24th to 17th place. This trend reflects a notable increase in the valuations of industrial goods-related groups alongside LS. Conversely, HMM's market capitalization fell from 23.58 trillion won to 19.62 trillion won, a decrease of 16.8%, resulting in a six-spot drop from 12th to 18th. DB Group's market capitalization increased from 13.12 trillion won to 18.49 trillion won, a rise of 40.9%, moving it up four spots from 23rd to 19th.
KT&G Group's market capitalization grew from 17.37 trillion won to 18.05 trillion won, a 3.9% increase, but its ranking fell from 17th to 20th. Lotte Group also saw an increase from 15.87 trillion won to 17.1 trillion won, a 7.8% rise, but dropped two spots from 19th to 21st due to other groups' larger gains.
S-Oil was among the groups with the steepest market capitalization increase over the past year. Its market capitalization surged from 6.61 trillion won to 16.83 trillion won, a 154.7% increase, moving it up six spots from 28th to 22nd.
KT Group's market capitalization rose from 13.99 trillion won to 16.37 trillion won, a 17.0% increase, but its ranking fell from 21st to 23rd. Korean & Company Group's market capitalization increased from 9.45 trillion won to 13.44 trillion won, a rise of 42.2%, moving it up two spots from 26th to 24th.
CJ Group's decline was also significant, with its market capitalization dropping from 16.07 trillion won last year to 10.62 trillion won this year, a decrease of 5.45 trillion won (33.9%). This resulted in a seven-spot drop from 18th to 25th, marking one of the largest declines among the top 30 groups this year.
Among the groups entering the top 30, the rise of Jungheung Construction Group was particularly remarkable. Its market capitalization soared from 1.55 trillion won last year to 7.77 trillion won this year, an increase of 6.22 trillion won (401.9%), propelling it from 41st to 29th place. Hyundai Department Store Group's market capitalization grew from 5.85 trillion won to 6.79 trillion won, a 16.0% increase, but it fell one spot from 29th to 30th. Shinsegae Group also saw its market capitalization rise from 4.94 trillion won to 6.32 trillion won, a 28.0% increase, but its ranking slipped from 30th to 31st.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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