The number of local companies established over 50 years ago totaled 480, a report said Sunday, with six of them already having celebrated their centennial.
Doosan Group, which has transformed from a consumer goods manufacturer into a heavy industrial conglomerate, is the longest-surviving enterprise in the country, according to the report by corporate research firm Chaebul.com.
Of the nation’s 19,060 companies with assets over 10 billion won ($9.2 million) that are subject to external audit, 480 entities, or 2.3 percent, were established more than 50 years ago, the report said.
It added that 271, or 56.5 percent, of the 480 companies are headquartered in Seoul, and manufacturers accounted for 47.3 percent of the total.
Six of the long-established firms ― Doosan Group, Shinhan Bank (Chohung Bank), Donghwa Pharm, Woori Bank (Commercial Bank), Monggo Foods and Kwangjang Market― boast a history of more than 100 years, it noted.
Doosan started its business 117 years ago in 1896, when its founder Park Seung-jik opened his namesake store in Baeogae, which is now Jongno 4-ga in central Seoul. (Yonhap News)
