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Stock-Based Executive Compensation Surges 66% Among Major Korean Conglomerates
Finance · Financial Conglomerates · yonhap_finance · 2026-09-03
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South Korean conglomerates are increasingly opting for stock-based incentives over cash for executives, with Samsung leading the trend to bolster accountability.
What Happened
Shift in Compensation: Stock-based compensation agreements for executives within major Korean business groups surged by 66% this year, totaling 585 cases. This trend reflects a growing emphasis on accountability, with Samsung Group significantly increasing its use of stock grants as part of its executive incentive programs.
Governance Improvements: The number of circular shareholding links among large business groups dropped by 1,202 to 233 over the past year, indicating a significant improvement in corporate governance. Companies like Sajo have actively simplified their ownership structures, reducing the risks associated with artificial capital formation.
Ownership-Control Gap: A persistent gap of 58 percentage points remains between the direct shareholdings of conglomerate heads and the overall internal shareholding ratios. The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) continues to monitor this structure, noting that it allows controlling families to exert influence over entire groups with relatively small direct stakes.
Regulatory Oversight: While the KFTC acknowledges that stock-based incentives are not inherently negative, it remains vigilant regarding the potential for excessive concentration of power among controlling families. Meanwhile, increased market scrutiny on treasury shares has led to a slight decrease in the average proportion of treasury shares held by conglomerate-affiliated companies.