chaebol

American  

[je-buhl] / ˈdʒɛ bəl /

noun

• chaebol,
  plural
• chaebols
  plural

1. a South Korean conglomerate, usually owned by a single family, based on authoritarian management and centralized decision-making.

---

chaebol British  

/ ˈtʃeɪbɒl /

noun

1. a large, usually family-owned, business group in South Korea

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• chaebol
  plural
• chaebols
  plural

Etymology

Origin of chaebol

First recorded in 1970–75; from Korean chaebŏl, from chae “wealth, property” + pŏl “clique, faction,” formed from the Korean pronunciation of the two Middle Chinese characters whose Japanese pronunciation is “zaibatsu”; see origin at zaibatsu ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chaebol chaebols

Moe is one of many analysts at present pointing out the progress made on corporate governance reform which has improved shareholders returns and narrowed the discounts on conglomerate or chaebol shares.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 6, 2026

But even as a chaebol, Amorepacific says it looks to smaller independent brands for fresh ideas.

From BBC ● Jan. 2, 2026

It is South Korea's largest chaebol, the family-run conglomerates that dominate the country's economy.

From Barron's ● Nov. 16, 2025

Because of their political heft, the chaebol, as these families are known, have long been a matter of immense public interest.

From New York Times ● Dec. 18, 2023

Song plays Yoon Hyun-woo, a longtime employee of the chaebol family-run Soonyang Group.

From Salon ● Apr. 22, 2023

Companies rarely welcome activists, and Korea has historically been especially inhospitable—in part because of the sprawling, family-controlled conglomerates called chaebols that still dominate the market today.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

A year ago, Lee was pledging to eliminate the low valuation multiples attached to Korean stocks owing to decades of mistreatment of minority shareholders by the dominant chaebols.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 25, 2026

The Koo lawsuit is one of several recent legal proceedings involving chaebols that highlight the challenges of family succession and control.

From New York Times ● Dec. 18, 2023

Known as chaebols, they are family-controlled empires which provide a span of services.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2022

South Korean chaebols, Japanese keiretsu, as well as American conglomerates frequently used these cheap funds to prop up their stock or to invest in real estate, driving prices up in both markets artificially.

From Crime and Corruption by Samuel Vaknin