Samsung Electronics becomes the largest corporate group in South Korea by borrowing scale

(1) Yonhap News Agency, citing data from South Korean financial regulatory authorities, reported that as of the end of 2025, Samsung Electronics has become the largest corporate group borrower in South Korea. A total of 42 companies have been designated as “main debtor corporate groups” that require creditor banks to evaluate their financial structures, marking a new high since 2014. The top five by borrowing amount are Samsung, Hyundai Motor, SK Hynix, Lotte, and LG. (2) This is the first time in eight years that Samsung has reclaimed the top spot since consecutively ranking first from 2016 to 2018. South Korean media analysis points out that the rise in its ranking is closely tied to ongoing large-scale investments in recent years related to AI semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, and global expansion. (3) Overall, the borrowing scale of major South Korean enterprises continues to rise. The total borrowings of the 42 “main debtor corporate groups” have reached 743.9 trillion Korean won, a year-on-year increase of 5%. The total amount of bank credit granted stands at 386.9 trillion Korean won, up 4.1% year-on-year.