The South Korea Financial Supervisory Service has selected 42 highly indebted business groups as 2026 main debtor groups, based on their year-end 2025 group-wide borrowings and bank credit exposure. The designation applies to groups with borrowings above KRW 2.5569 trillion and outstanding credit extended from banks above KRW 1.5032 trillion. At the end of December 2025, banks' outstanding credit to enterprises totaled KRW 2,173.2 trillion, up KRW 168.9 trillion or 8.4% from a year earlier. The 42 designated groups accounted for KRW 386.9 trillion of that bank credit, up KRW 15.1 trillion or 4.1% year on year, while their total borrowings reached KRW 743.9 trillion, up KRW 35.1 trillion or 5.0%. Principal creditor banks will assess the financial stability of the selected groups and enter into restructuring and turnaround agreements with financially vulnerable groups to manage credit risk.
South Korea Financial Supervisory Service2026-05-26
South Korea Financial Supervisory Service designates 42 main debtor groups for 2026 with KRW 2.5569 trillion borrowing and KRW 1.5032 trillion credit thresholds
The South Korea Financial Supervisory Service has designated 42 highly indebted business groups as 2026 main debtor groups, based on borrowings above KRW 2.5569 trillion and bank credit exposure above KRW 1.5032 trillion. These groups account for KRW 386.9 trillion of banks’ KRW 2,173.2 trillion enterprise credit and total borrowings of KRW 743.9 trillion. Principal creditor banks will assess their financial stability and implement restructuring and turnaround agreements for vulnerable groups to manage credit risk.