Chaebol in the context of "Sun Myung Moon"

Play Trivia Questions online!

or

Skip to study material about Chaebol in the context of "Sun Myung Moon"

Ad spacer

⭐ Core Definition: Chaebol

A chaebol (UK: /ˈbəl, ˈbɒl/ CHAY-bəl, CHAY-bol, US: /ˈbl, ˈɛbəl/ CHAY-bohl, JEB-əl; Korean재벌 [tɕɛbɔɭ] , lit.'rich family' or 'financial clique') is a large industrial South Korean conglomerate run and controlled by an individual or family. A chaebol often consists of multiple diversified affiliates, controlled by a person or group. Several dozen large South Korean family-controlled corporate groups fall under this definition. The term first appeared in English text in 1972.

Chaebol have also played a significant role in South Korean politics. In 1988, a member of a chaebol family, Chung Mong-joon, president of Hyundai Heavy Industries, successfully ran for the National Assembly of South Korea. Other business leaders were also chosen to be members of the National Assembly through proportional representation. Hyundai has made efforts in the thawing of North Korean relations, despite some controversy. Many South Korean family-run chaebol have been criticised for low dividend payouts and other governance practices that favor controlling shareholders at the expense of ordinary investors.

↓ Menu

>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<

👉 Chaebol in the context of Sun Myung Moon

Sun Myung Moon (Korean문선명; Hanja文鮮明; born Moon Yong-myeong; 6 January 1920 – 3 September 2012) was a Korean religious leader, also known for his business ventures and support for conservative political causes. A messiah claimant, he was the founder of the Unification Church, whose members consider him and his wife, Hak Ja Han, to be their "True Parents", and of its widely noted "Blessing" or mass wedding ceremonies. The author of the Unification Church's religious scripture, the Divine Principle, was an anti-communist and an advocate for Korean reunification, for which he was recognized by the governments of both North and South Korea. Businesses he promoted included News World Communications, an international news media corporation known for its American subsidiary The Washington Times, and Tongil Group, a South Korean business group (chaebol), as well as other related organizations.

Moon was born in what is now North Korea. When he was a child, his family converted to Christianity. In the 1940s and 1950s, he was imprisoned multiple times by the North and South Korean governments during his early new religious ministries, formally founding the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, simply known as the Unification Church, in Seoul, South Korea, in 1954.

↓ Explore More Topics
In this Dossier

Chaebol in the context of Miracle on the Han River

The Miracle on the Han River (Korean한강의 기적) was the period of rapid economic growth in South Korea following the Korean War (1950–1953), during which South Korea transformed from an underdeveloped country into a highly developed country.

The rapid reconstruction and development of the South Korean economy during the latter half of the 20th century was accompanied by events such as the country's hosting of the 1988 Summer Olympics and its co-hosting of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, as well as the ascension of family-owned conglomerates known as chaebols, such as Samsung, LG, and Hyundai. This growth also encompassed declines in child mortality and increases in life expectancy. South Korea during this period has been described as "corporatist" or as practicing state capitalism. This period of growth was overseen by the Democratic Republican Party (DRP), a conservative, broadly state capitalist and nationalist party.

↑ Return to Menu

Chaebol in the context of Koreatown, Manhattan

Koreatown (Korean코리아타운; RRKoriataun), shortened to K-Town, is a Korean enclave in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, centered on 32nd Street between Madison Avenue and the intersection with Sixth Avenue and Broadway, which is known as Greeley Square. The neighborhood in Midtown South features over 150 businesses of various types and sizes, ranging from small restaurants and beauty salons to large branches of Korean banking conglomerates. Koreatown, Manhattan, has become described as the "Korean Times Square" and has emerged as the international economic outpost for the Korean chaebol.

↑ Return to Menu

Chaebol in the context of Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (SEC; stylized as SΛMSUNG; Korean삼성전자; lit. Tristar Electronics) is a South Korean multinational major appliance and consumer electronics corporation founded on 13 January 1969 and headquartered in Yeongtong District, Suwon, South Korea. It is the pinnacle of the Samsung chaebol, accounting for 70% of the group's revenue in 2012, and has played a key role in the group's corporate governance due to cross ownership. It is majority-owned by foreign investors.

As of 2023, Samsung Electronics is the world's fourth-largest technology company by revenue, and its market capitalization stood at US$520.65 billion, the 12th largest in the world. It is the largest vendor of smartphones but was temporarily surpassed by Apple in 2023. Samsung is known most notably for its Samsung Galaxy brand consisting of phones such as its flagship Galaxy S series, popular midrange Galaxy A series as well as the premium Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Flip series. The company pioneered the phablet form factor with the Galaxy Note family. Samsung produces tablets consisting of the Galaxy Tab A series and Galaxy Tab S series. It has been the largest television manufacturer since 2006, both of which include related software and services like Samsung Pay and TV Plus. Samsung is a supplier of hospitality televisions for hotels and businesses which includes dedicated software that can be personalised to each business and is a supplier of displays for stadiums and venues. Samsung is also a major vendor of washing machines, refrigerators, computer monitors and soundbars.

↑ Return to Menu

Chaebol in the context of Samsung

Samsung Group (Korean: 삼성; pronounced [sʰamsɔŋ]; stylised as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in the Samsung Town office complex in Seoul. The group consists of numerous affiliated businesses, most of which operate under the Samsung brand, and is the largest chaebol (business conglomerate) in South Korea. As of 2024, Samsung has the world's fifth-highest brand value.

Founded in 1938 by Lee Byung-chul as a trading company, Samsung diversified into various sectors, including food processing, textiles, insurance, securities, and retail, over the next three decades. In the late 1960s, Samsung entered the electronics industry, followed by the construction and shipbuilding sectors in the mid-1970s—areas that would fuel its future growth. After Lee died in 1987, Samsung was divided into five business groups: Samsung Group, Shinsegae Group, CJ Group, Hansol Group, and JoongAng Group.

↑ Return to Menu

Chaebol in the context of Hyundai Group

Hyundai Group (Korean현대그룹; Korean pronunciation: [ˈçəːndɛ]) is a South Korean conglomerate founded by Chung Ju-yung. The group was founded in 1947 as a construction company. With government assistance, Chung and his family members rapidly expanded into various industries, eventually becoming South Korea's second chaebol. Chung Ju-yung was directly in control of the company until his death in 2001.

The company spun off many of its better known businesses after the 1997 Asian financial crisis and founder Chung Ju-yung's death, including Hyundai Motor Group, Hyundai Department Store Group, and Hyundai Heavy Industries Group. The Hyundai Group now focuses on elevators and tourism to Mount Kumgang.

↑ Return to Menu

Chaebol in the context of Park Chung Hee

Park Chung Hee (Korean박정희; [pak̚.tɕ͈ʌŋ.çi] ; 14 November 1917 – 26 October 1979) was a South Korean politician and army officer who served as the third president of South Korea from 1962 after he seized power in the May 16 coup of 1961 until his assassination in 1979. His regime oversaw a period of intense economic growth and transformation, making Park one of the most consequential leaders in Korean history, although his legacy as a military dictator remains a bitter subject.

Before his presidency, Park was the second-highest-ranking officer in the South Korean army. His coup brought an end to the interim Second Republic of Korea. After serving for two years as chairman of the military junta, he was elected president in 1963, ushering in the Third Republic. A firm anti-communist, he continued to maintain close ties with the United States, which had maintained a large Army garrison in the country since the end of the Korean War. He supported American military involvement in Southeast Asia, and sent South Korean troops to fight in Vietnam soon after seizing power. Park began a series of economic reforms that eventually led to rapid and unprecedented economic growth and industrialization, a phenomenon that is now known as the Miracle on the Han River. This made South Korea one of the fastest growing economies of the 1960s and 1970s, albeit with costs to labor rights. This era also saw the formation of chaebols: family companies supported by the state similar to the Japanese zaibatsu. Examples of significant chaebols include Hyundai, LG, and Samsung.

↑ Return to Menu