KFTC Holds Record-Breaking Disclosure Session for 3,538 Companies... Strict Attendance Limits and Day-by-Day Scheduling in Place

Held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry from May 11 to 13

Attendance Limited to Seven per Existing Group, Eleven per Newly Designated Group

The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) is launching a special session for a record 102 designated business groups subject to disclosure requirements. To prevent overcrowding due to this unprecedented level of participation, the KFTC is strictly limiting the number of participants from each company and dividing attendance by day, preparing with security measures reminiscent of a college entrance exam venue.

Front view of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

According to the KFTC on May 8, a “2026 Information Session for Designated Business Groups Subject to Disclosure” will be held over three days from May 11 to 13 at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul. This session is aimed at executives and employees of 3,538 companies belonging to the 102 business groups designated last month. This is the largest participation since the system was introduced, both in terms of the number of groups and companies involved. The session will include an explanation of policies related to the designation of business groups, a Q&A session, and one-on-one consultations.

The KFTC plans to strictly limit the number of participants per business group to around seven, as in previous years. This is a practical decision, as it is impossible to accommodate all personnel when more than 3,500 affiliate companies are involved. However, the 11 groups newly designated as business groups subject to disclosure (large conglomerates) this year will be allowed a slightly more relaxed limit of about 11 participants per group. Taking this into account, the total number of company representatives expected to attend over the three days is estimated to be around 765.

The operation method has also been strategically designed. On the first and second days (May 11–12), existing business groups will be assigned to participate on different days based on their ranking in the business community to prevent congestion. For example, Samsung will attend on Monday, while Coupang and Hyundai Motor Group will participate on Tuesday. In particular, Coupang, whose controlling shareholder has changed to an individual (Bomseok Kim, Chairman of Coupang Inc.) for the first time in five years, is expected to raise many questions about the changes in disclosure obligations. The final day of the training, May 13, is reserved exclusively for the 11 newly designated business groups, including Toss and Korea Kolmar, who have been added to the large business group list for the first time this year. Intensive training will be provided on matters such as entering information into the disclosure system and calculating the shareholding ratios of related parties. In the future, the KFTC also plans to provide online explanatory videos and organize on-site information sessions for large business groups located outside the Seoul metropolitan area.

Within the KFTC, the on-site information session is often compared to the college entrance exam. This work is crucial for corporate disclosure managers, and the event requires considerable preparation from public officials responsible for accommodating a large number of participants. A KFTC official stated, "Disclosure work is very technical, as information must be entered directly into the system, so the workload for deputy managers and team leaders is high. The purpose of the information session is to help them overcome difficulties on-site and prevent errors."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.