Starting this year, the disclosure requirement for corporate governance reports has been expanded to all KOSPI-listed companies, and every company subject to the rule submitted its report by the deadline.
Korea Exchange (KRX) said on the 2nd that 829 KOSPI-listed companies submitted their 2026 corporate governance reports by the June 1 deadline.
The disclosure subjects this time are all KOSPI-listed companies except six firms—Kumyang, Pusan Cast Iron, Capro, Hanchang, KC GreenHoldings and Exicure Hitron—that are undergoing delisting decisions or related injunction applications.
The corporate governance report is a system that discloses in detail to investors the transparency of overall corporate management, including responsible board operations, protection of shareholders' rights and interests, and independent functioning of audit bodies. The exchange first introduced the system in 2017 and has since gradually expanded the scope of mandatory disclosure based on corporations' asset size.
In 2019, at the initial introduction, it began with large corporations with total assets of 2 trillion won or more, then lowered the threshold to 1 trillion won or more in 2022 and to 500 billion won or more in 2024. Starting this year, the scope has been finally expanded to all corporations listed on the KOSPI regardless of asset size.
With the disclosure obligation fully expanded, the number of corporations that filed this year's report came to 829, up 288 from last year's 541. By industry, nonfinancial companies accounted for most with 789, while financial companies totaled 40.
The exchange expects that the expanded disclosure requirement will help spread a management culture centered on shareholder value and lay the groundwork for shifting the Korea premium in Korea's capital market. It plans to provide investors with transparent information on key governance conditions such as board accountability, shareholder protection and the independence of audit bodies.
Going forward, the exchange will closely review the submitted reports and will immediately request corrective disclosures if it finds that key information has been omitted or incorrectly stated. At the same time as strengthening the substance of the reports, it plans to carefully select listed companies that disclosed their governance conditions most faithfully and transparently and present them with awards as "excellent in disclosure."
An exchange official said, "We will strengthen improvements to listed companies' governance by reflecting the main elements of the recently amended Commercial Act—including those related to independent directors and electronic general meetings of shareholders—into the corporate governance report guidelines."