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South Korean Chaebol Families Earn Average Annual Salary of 58 Million Won; 'These 3 People' Exceed Employees by Over 100 Times

From Liberty Times · (1d ago) Chinese Critical tone

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • South Korean conglomerate family heads earned an average annual salary of 2.7 billion won (approximately $58 million) last year.
  • This average salary is 26.9 times higher than that of regular employees, a slight decrease from the previous year's 27.9 times.
  • Three specific executives, including Doosan Group Chairman Park Jeong-won, earned over 100 times the average employee salary.

Liberty Times highlights a striking report from South Korea detailing the immense salaries of conglomerate 'chaebol' family heads, revealing an average annual income of 2.7 billion won (around $58 million USD) last year. This stark disparity between executive compensation and that of regular employees, with the former earning 26.9 times more on average, paints a picture of wealth concentration at the top of South Korea's corporate ladder.

The average annual salary of the 'heads' (presidents) of South Korean corporate groups last year was as high as 2.7 billion won (approximately 58 million New Taiwan dollars).

— CEO SCORE reportSummarizing the findings on executive compensation in South Korean conglomerates.

The report, compiled by the corporate research institute 'CEO SCORE,' specifically names Doosan Group Chairman Park Jeong-won, Hyosung Group Chairman Cho Hyun-joon, and Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin as individuals whose earnings exceeded the average employee salary by more than 100 times. Park Jeong-won's salary of 18.13 billion won (approximately $38.9 million USD) is particularly noteworthy, making him the highest earner among the surveyed executives.

From the perspective of Liberty Times, a publication often critical of corporate power and wealth inequality, this report serves as a potent illustration of the economic divide in South Korea. The framing emphasizes the sheer scale of these earnings, contrasting them with the more modest increases in average employee salaries. The article implicitly questions the fairness of such compensation structures, particularly in a society grappling with economic challenges.

Among them, the salaries of Doosan Group Chairman Park Jeong-won, Hyosung Group Chairman Cho Hyun-joon, and Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin were more than 100 times the average salary of ordinary employees.

— CEO SCORE reportIdentifying specific executives with exceptionally high pay ratios compared to their employees.

This story resonates deeply within Taiwan, where similar concerns about corporate influence and income disparity are prevalent. While international media might report on South Korean corporate governance, Liberty Times focuses on the human element – the vast sums earned by a select few compared to the majority. The report's detailed breakdown of individual salaries and the multiples involved provides concrete evidence for discussions about economic justice and the role of chaebols in South Korean society. The article serves as a cautionary tale and a point of comparison for economic discussions within Taiwan itself.

Doosan Group Chairman Park Jeong-won received a salary of 18.13 billion won, which was 158.4 times the average salary of 114.45 million won for the group's employees.

— CEO SCORE reportDetailing the specific earnings of Doosan Group Chairman Park Jeong-won and the multiple compared to his employees.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.