chaebol

American  

[je-buhl] / ˈdʒɛ bəl /

noun

plural

chaebol, chaebols

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

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chaebol British  

/ ˈtʃeɪbɒl /

noun

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

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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

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

Many Korean chaebol still languish as low as 0.3 times book, Lim says.

From Barron's • Dec. 31, 2025

Fictional chaebol families have been depicted in Korean dramas.

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

In some cases judges said the economy might suffer if a chaebol leader was taken out of action.

From BBC • Aug. 11, 2022