The KOBDi Industry Ranking & Scoring system provides a structured, data-driven assessment of businesses operating in South Korea, offering insight into their relative standing within their respective industries. This initiative was developed to support informed decision-making across financial, legal, regulatory, and commercial sectors by presenting a clear and consistent view of business performance grounded in verifiable data.
In Korea, all registered businesses are categorized under one of approximately 1,600 official industry classifications, based on the primary nature of their operations. Our ranking system evaluates for-profit businesses of all sizes—from sole proprietorships to listed conglomerates—by comparing them to others within the same industry.
Eligibility for scoring is based on the availability of meaningful financial or employment-related data. Entities are included in the rankings if they have at least one relevant data point, such as employee headcount or recent financial disclosures. This ensures the scoring is both inclusive and based on verifiable information.
Each business is assessed within the context of its declared industry, allowing for more accurate benchmarking. Sector-specific performance expectations vary, so our method avoids one-size-fits-all evaluations and enables users to understand how a company performs among its immediate peers.
Scores are derived from a blend of financial indicators and human capital metrics, including profitability, return on equity, workforce size and stability, salary levels, and business age. While the exact calculations are proprietary, they reflect established principles of corporate evaluation.
Importantly, the KOBDi scoring system is dynamic. Rankings and scores are updated regularly based on the most current data available. As companies grow, restructure, or evolve, these changes are reflected in their scores. Users can not only view a company’s current standing, but also track how that position changes over time.
Important Considerations
While the ranking methodology is carefully designed, all scoring systems inherently rely on the quality and completeness of the underlying data.
In some cases, businesses may remain officially registered under an industry classification that no longer reflects their current operations, particularly if they have shifted focus but have not yet updated their status with the relevant authorities. Additionally, a business may operate across multiple sectors, yet be registered under a single primary industry code. Large corporations often manage this by registering branches under multiple codes, but in some smaller organizations, this complexity may not be fully captured.
These scenarios are relatively common in business environments and do not significantly impact the overall reliability of the ranking system. However, we recommend that users consider the business context and sector dynamics when interpreting individual scores—particularly in cases involving diversified or evolving operations.
By focusing on industry-specific benchmarking, transparent data criteria, and regular updates, the KOBDi Industry Ranking & Scoring system provides a valuable reference for credit evaluation, due diligence, market analysis, and policy development. We invite professionals and institutions across sectors to utilize these rankings as part of their broader decision-making and risk assessment frameworks.