Among 231 companies evaluated for the Growth Partnership Index, 44, or 19%, received the highest rating of 'Outstanding' (S).
Samsung Electronics set a record by achieving the 'Outstanding' rating for 15 consecutive years since the evaluation's inception in 2011. Additionally, three defense-related companies from Hanwha Group—Hanwha, Hanwha Systems, and Hanwha Aerospace—earned the 'Outstanding' rating for the first time.
In the inaugural evaluation of the Win-Win Finance Index, conducted among six major banks, Industrial Bank of Korea and Woori Bank were recognized as excellent banks.
The Growth Partnership Committee announced these results during its 90th meeting held at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido on November 11.
According to the 2026 Growth Partnership Index evaluation conducted by the committee, 44 companies received the 'Outstanding' rating, 69 were rated 'Excellent' (A), 81 were rated 'Average' (B), 24 were rated 'Insufficient' (C), and 13 were rated 'Very Insufficient' (D).
The 'Outstanding' category includes companies such as Kia, Naver, Nongshim, Lotte Duty Free, POSCO, Hyundai Motor, and LG Uplus. Among these, six companies—Doosan Enerbility, Samsung C&T, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, SK Siltron, GS Retail, and Hyundai AutoEver—have been recognized as honorary 'Outstanding' companies for receiving the highest rating for three consecutive years, bringing the total number of honorary 'Outstanding' companies to 20.
This year, 34 companies improved their ratings compared to last year, with 32 moving up one level and two moving up two levels. The average score for the 'Growth Partnership Performance Evaluation' increased from 57.56 last year to 62.58 this year, a growth of 5.02 points.
Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics recorded the highest scores, while SK hynix was noted for the largest score increase compared to the previous year.
Samsung Electronics received high marks for its support of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in AI transformation and manufacturing innovation. In 2025, it plans to deploy 160 specialized consultants to assist approximately 170 SMEs.
In terms of industry, Hyundai Transys ranked first in the manufacturing sector, while Innocean topped the non-manufacturing sector.
Hyundai Transys has been developing a dedicated ESG evaluation model for its partners since 2023, providing on-site inspections and tailored consulting.
In the construction sector, Samsung E&A ranked first, while Nongshim led in the food sector, and GS Retail topped the distribution sector.
Nongshim contributed to enhancing the utilization of local 'imperfect' agricultural products by jointly developing two premium functional pet food snacks with SMEs, thereby supporting farmers' income.
Five companies, including Hanwha, Hanwha Systems, Hanwha Aerospace, Lotte Duty Free, and Korea Seven, achieved the 'Outstanding' rating for the first time.
Twenty-four companies, including Coupang and Toray Advanced Materials, received 'Insufficient' ratings, while 13 companies, including Seoul Semiconductor and Daebang Construction, were rated 'Very Insufficient'.
The average score for the 'SME Perception Survey' slightly decreased from 73.47 last year to 73.09 this year.
Korea Seven received the highest score, while Kyochon F&B recorded the largest score increase compared to the previous year.
In the first evaluation of the Win-Win Finance Index conducted among six banks, Industrial Bank of Korea and Woori Bank were selected as excellent banks.
The Win-Win Finance Index was developed by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Financial Services Commission, and the Financial Supervisory Service, and includes evaluations of win-win finance performance, win-win cooperation performance, and SME perception surveys.
The Growth Partnership Index is calculated based on the previous year's performance, combining the Growth Partnership Committee's comprehensive evaluation and the Fair Trade Commission's compliance evaluation results, and is divided into five ratings.
Companies receiving 'Outstanding' or 'Excellent' ratings are eligible for government incentives, including preferential treatment in public bidding pre-qualification (PQ), issuance of preferential immigration cards, and selection as exemplary taxpayers.
Jang In-hwa, chair of the Growth Partnership Committee, stated, "We will actively discuss various issues and cooperation methods between large and small enterprises. We will strive to expand the scope of growth partnerships into diverse fields such as online platforms and defense, and promote collaboration with local governments to spread the warmth of growth partnerships."
Chair Jang also mentioned that discussions are ongoing with the Financial Services Commission regarding whether to expand the evaluation targets of the Win-Win Finance Index to include local banks, policy banks, and savings banks.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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