The total brand value of the top 50 domestic brands declined compared with a year earlier, while brands that strengthened their competitiveness in future industries such as artificial intelligence (AI) saw a sharp increase in value. SK hynix, which has driven growth in the AI semiconductor market, newly entered the top 10 in brand value, and Dongwon and Krafton appeared for the first time in the top 50 brands.

Brand consulting group Interbrand held the “2026 Best Korea Brands” conference on the 11th and announced the country’s leading top 50 brands. This year, their combined brand value was KRW 231,100.5 billion, down 1.6% from the previous year. Interbrand analyzed that brand values diverged depending on whether companies had secured future growth engines.

Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor maintained the first and second places from last year. Samsung Electronics’ brand value stood at KRW 113,206.1 billion, down 7.4% year-on-year, but it retained the top spot. Hyundai Motor recorded KRW 30,745.9 billion, up 10.1%. They were followed by Kia (KRW 10,684.1 billion), LG Electronics (KRW 8,595.5 billion), and Naver (KRW 8,241.9 billion) in third to fifth place, respectively. The combined value of the top five brands was KRW 171,473.7 billion, accounting for 74.2% of the total.

SK hynix’s brand value grew 34.8% in one year to KRW 3,226.9 billion, rising from 13th place last year to 9th this year and entering the top 10 for the first time. Olive Young (27th), which expanded its scope from beauty to a wellness platform, and Doosan Enerbility (44th), which accelerated its transition to eco-friendly energy, were also cited as growth brands. Among those entering the top 50 in brand value for the first time this year, Dongwon (50th) was highly rated for expanding beyond food into smart logistics and secondary battery materials, while Krafton (41st) was recognized for leveraging “Battlegrounds” to expand into global markets.

Popular News