🇰🇷 Foreign ownership of South Korean brands
4.1% of the 243 South Korean brands with a controlling owner (10) are owned by a company headquartered outside South Korea, most often in the United States, Australia and Belgium. That ranks 77 of 94 countries analysed.
Which countries own them
| Owner headquartered in | Brands | Share of foreign-owned | Bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | 3 | 30% | |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 1 | 10% | |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | 1 | 10% | |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 1 | 10% | |
| 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 1 | 10% | |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 1 | 10% | |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | 1 | 10% | |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | 1 | 10% |
Largest foreign owners
| Owner | Headquarters | South Korean brands owned |
|---|---|---|
| Coupang | 🇺🇸 United States | 3 |
| AB InBev | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 1 |
| AIA | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 1 |
| CAR Group | 🇦🇺 Australia | 1 |
| Delivery Hero | 🇩🇪 Germany | 1 |
| Jollibee Group | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 1 |
| SBI Holdings | 🇯🇵 Japan | 1 |
| Wallenius Wilhelmsen | 🇳🇴 Norway | 1 |
Where foreign ownership is highest
Top-level categories with at least 5 South Korean brands that have a controlling owner.
| Category | Brands | Foreign-owned | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet & digital | 17 | 5 | 29.4% |
| Travel & transport | 20 | 1 | 5% |
| Finance & insurance | 48 | 2 | 4.2% |
| Beverages | 29 | 1 | 3.4% |
| Food | 64 | 0 | 0% |
| Personal care & beauty | 22 | 0 | 0% |
| Media & entertainment | 12 | 0 | 0% |
| Energy | 9 | 0 | 0% |
Examples
- AIA Korea owned by AIA
- Baemin owned by Delivery Hero
- Cass owned by AB InBev
- Compose Coffee owned by Jollibee Group
- Coupang owned by Coupang
- Coupang Eats owned by Coupang
- Coupang Play owned by Coupang
- EUKOR owned by Wallenius Wilhelmsen
- Encar owned by CAR Group
- SBI Savings Bank owned by SBI Holdings
How this is computed
Of 248 South Korean brands recorded, 243 have a current controlling owner (outright or a stake of 50% or more, followed up to the ultimate parent). The other 5 are licensed, part-owned or lack a current owner and are left out. A brand is foreign-owned when that ultimate parent is headquartered in a different country from the brand's origin. Data as of . Method and ranking for all countries.
Coverage caveat. The brands tracked skew towards those held by large filing companies, so this overstates foreign ownership relative to every brand in the country. See also the South Korea country page.