Lotte, Under Shin Dong-bin's Leadership, Rejoins 'Top 5 Conglomerates' After a Year… 10% Asset Growth Secures 'Big 5' Status

**# Lotte Group Reclaims Fifth Place in South Korea's Corporate Rankings** Lotte Group, under Chairman Shin Dong-bin, has regained its position as the fifth-largest conglomerate in South Korea, as per the Fair Trade Commission's (FTC) announcement of the 2025 designated corporate group rankings on November 2. This marks an improvement from last year's sixth place, restoring the group's status. Lotte had dropped to sixth place in 2022 for the first time in 13 years, having consistently held the fifth rank from 2010 to 2023. The slip last year was due to a sudden surge in POSCO's asset base, which caused Lotte to dip in the rankings. The narrow 3 trillion won asset gap between POSCO and Lotte had led to speculations about potential shifts in rankings. **# Lotte Expands Asset Base Through Land Revaluation** In 2023, Lotte conducted land asset reassessments, significantly boosting its total assets. The group's asset base expanded by 10.4%, from 129.8 trillion won in 2022 to 143.3 trillion won in 2023. This revaluation move was initiated due to liquidity concerns that emerged late last year. Lotte Shopping, a key subsidiary, revalued approximately 7.6 trillion won worth of land assets, marking its first reassessment in 15 years. By February 2023, these reassessed land assets had increased by 9.5 trillion won. **# Changes in Corporate Rankings: Shinsegae Stable, Coupang Gains Ground** Shinsegae Group, led by Lee Myung-hee, maintained its 11th-place position, with its assets growing modestly from 62 trillion won to 63.9 trillion won, reflecting a 2.9% increase. E-commerce giant Coupang made significant progress, climbing from 27th to 25th place. Coupang's assets surged by 26%, from 17.6 trillion won in 2022 to 22.3 trillion won in 2023, the highest growth rate among retail companies. **# Other Conglomerate Movements in the Rankings** Chung Ji-sun's Hyundai Department Store Group dropped two spots, from 24th to 26th, with assets growing marginally by 0.3%. On the other hand, Park Sung-soo's E-Land Group climbed from 48th to 46th, with a 6.6% increase in assets from 10.9 trillion won to 11.6 trillion won. Amorepacific Group, under Suh Kyung-bae, rose from 59th to 58th place. Global Sae-A, led by Kim Woong-ki, made significant gains, leaping from 70th to 61st. BGF, chaired by Hong Seok-jo, moved up from 77th to 73rd. Sung Ki-hak's Youngone Corporation experienced the steepest decline among major firms, dropping from 73rd to 92nd, a significant 19-spot fall. The reshuffling of South Korea's corporate rankings highlights evolving market dynamics and strategic moves by major conglomerates, impacting their competitive positioning in one of Asia's most dynamic economies.