Korea Corporate Governance Reform: How It Could Revalue Korean Stocks
Quick Take South Korea’s corporate governance reform is moving beyond the government’s voluntary Corporate Value-up Program. Since 2025, changes to the Commercial Act, treasury-share rules, board governance, duplicate-listing standards and merger valuation rules have begun to address some of the structural issues behind the so-called Korea Discount . For global investors, the important question is not whether Korean companies suddenly become more “shareholder friendly.” It is whether minority-shareholder risk falls, capital allocation improves, and investors become willing to apply a lower cost of equity to Korean corporate cash flows. That distinction matters. Governance reform cannot turn a weak business into a high-quality company. But for profitable, cash-rich Korean companies that have historically traded at persistent discounts, even a modest improvement in ROE, capital allocation and investor confidence could materially change valuation. Data as of August 22, 2026 What Has Actua...