Samsung named largest borrower among 42 South Korean conglomerates under banking supervision

Samsung Group has been named the largest borrower among 42 South Korean conglomerates under banking supervision, according to financial regulatory data on Tuesday (26 May). The 42 business groups, designated as major debtors, have total loans exceeding 2.56 trillion won ($1.7 billion) with outstanding bank credit of over 1.50 trillion won ($995.7 million) as of end-2025, according to the Financial Services Commission. The figures mark the highest since 2014 when 42 groups were also selected. These debtors are required to undergo annual financial health assessments by their lead banks due to high debt levels. Samsung Group has risen to the top spot after being third the previous year, followed by Hyundai Motor Group, SK, Lotte, and LG. Compared to the previous year’s list of 41 groups, four new groups were added and three were removed from the oversight list. Bank credit extended to the 42 major debtors totalled 386.9 trillion won ($256.8 billion) as of end-2025, while their total loans reached 743.9 trillion won ($493.8 billion).