KRX rallies mid-sized firms to ride on 'value-up' program

Korea Exchange CEO Jeong Eun-bo (center) speaks at a roundtable meeting with mid-sized Kospi companies in Seoul on Wednesday. (Korea Exchange)

Korea Exchange CEO Jeong Eun-bo held a roundtable meeting with mid-sized companies listed on the nation’s main bourse Kospi to encourage their active participation in the government-led corporate “value-up” program.

This is the third meeting of its kind following Jeong's previous ones with large corporations and financial firms.

Earlier this year, the government announced the value-up program aimed at elevating the undervalued stock prices of Korean firms, a phenomenon widely called the “Korea Discount.” The program promises incentives such as tax cuts for companies to boost shareholder benefits and improve corporate governance overall.

Wednesday’s event was attended by companies with assets worth between 2 to 5 trillion won ($1.5-3.6 billion), including Orion, Yuhan, Kolmar Holdings, Hyundai Elevator and LG Household & Health Care.

Since last month, companies have started making regulatory filings to share their value-up plans. Because it is not a mandatory measure, the participation rate remains at 0.2 percent. Of the total 2,682 Kospi and Kosdaq listed companies, only seven have made filings as of Thursday.

“We believe corporate value-up efforts can pave the way for medium-sized companies to boost their competitive edge," Jeong said during the meeting. He stressed a “select concentrate” strategy tailored to the unique characteristics of each firm.

"We envision the corporate value-up program becoming a hub of communication with stakeholders and investors," he added.

The KRX, the nation’s sole bourse operator, plans to hold more meetings in July, targeting companies listed on the secondary tech-heavy Kosdaq market.

By Park Se-ra(serap1005@heraldcorp.com)