Korean Air was ranked No. 1 in a comprehensive evaluation of over 350 airlines worldwide based on various criteria, including safety, product ratings, passenger reviews, fleet age and environmental commitment Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Seoul, June 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Korean Air, Genesis, and Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones topped the list of premium brands most favored by South Korea’s top corporate leaders, according to a new survey released Tuesday by the business journal Hyundai Management.
The annual Best Premium Brands survey, based on responses from 100 CEOs at Korea’s 500 largest companies, revealed that Korean Air led all brands with a preference rate of 91.49%, followed by Genesis at 85.26% and Galaxy smartphones at 72.63%.
Other highly rated domestic brands included SK Telecom (69.32%), Chamisul soju (64.18%), Jeju Samdasoo water (61.96%), and Cass beer (50.00%). Shinsegae Department Store, Geumgang Shoes, Ballantine’s whisky, Galaxy men’s suits, and Raemian apartments also ranked among the top selections.
HiteJinro’s Chamisul was selected as the most preferred premium soju brand among corporate CEOs. (Yonhap)
In the financial sector, broken down by service category, Samsung Life Insurance (33.33%), Mirae Asset Securities (28.95%), KB Kookmin Bank (28.89%), Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance (22.73%), and Hyundai Card (17.31%) received the most CEO endorsements in their respective segments.
For talent development and education, Seoul National University’s MBA program led with 55.07%, followed by Kyung Hee Cyber University (32.61%) and Inha Technical College (33.33%).
In media preferences, Maeil Business Newspaper was most favored with a 75.58% response rate, ahead of Chosun Ilbo (42.03%) and KBS 9 O’Clock News (38.10%).
In newly added categories, Harim Pet Food (46.88%) topped the pet food segment, while Celltrion (40.54%) led in innovative pharmaceuticals.
Looking ahead, the CEOs identified four promising sectors poised to define future Korean premium industries: defense (34.04%), biotech (27.66%), cultural content (23.40%), and food (12.77%).
The survey was conducted between March 5 and April 25, 2025.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
