[Edaily Reporter Kim Hyung-il ] The Korea Exchange announced on the 6th that the number of listed companies that newly disclosed corporate value enhancement plans last month increased by 8, bringing the cumulative total to 764.

According to the exchange, a total of 764 companies submitted disclosures from May 2024—when the corporate value enhancement plan disclosure requirement took effect—through September of this year. By market, there were 358 KOSPI-listed companies and 406 KOSDAQ-listed companies. Four companies that were delisted due to mergers or other reasons were excluded from the tally.

In September, eight companies— KAIT(123890), DAYOU AUTOMOTIVE SEAT TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD(002880), WOOJINI&S(010400), Hyosung ONB Co., Ltd(097870), CARRIESOFT Co., Ltd.(317530), TOEBOX KOREA, Ltd.(215480), SeAH Steel Holdings Corporation(003030), and Macromill Embrain Co., Ltd.(169330) —submitted new disclosures. During the same period, four companies submitted periodic disclosures, which included performance evaluations of their existing disclosures.

The market capitalization of companies that disclosed corporate value enhancement plans totaled 5,139.8 trillion won, accounting for 84% of the total market. The market capitalization of KOSPI-listed companies that disclosed such plans was 4,985.2 trillion won, accounting for 88.4% of the entire KOSPI market. KOSDAQ-listed companies that disclosed such plans had a market capitalization of 154.6 trillion won, accounting for 32.1% of the KOSDAQ market.

High-dividend companies also continued to announce plans to enhance corporate value. In September, four companies— FORCS Co., Ltd.(189690), ManhoRope&Wire(001080), Hyosung ONB Co., Ltd., and Macromill Embrain Co., Ltd.—among those with a fiscal year-end in June 2026 announced that they qualify as high-dividend companies.

To date, a total of 638 companies that qualify as high-dividend companies have submitted corporate value enhancement plans. Of these, 546 submitted new disclosures, while 92 were companies that had previously disclosed such plans.

Shareholder returns also continued. In September, #KT&G decided to repurchase 360 billion won worth of treasury stock and cancel 360 billion won worth of shares, while Celltrion(068270)decided to repurchase 100 billion won worth of treasury stock and cancel 96 billion won worth of shares. CheilWorldwide(030000)also decided to repurchase 40 billion won worth of treasury stock and cancel 283 billion won worth of shares.

Over the past three years, the total value of treasury stock purchases by listed companies has increased from 8.2 trillion won in 2023 to 18.8 trillion won in 2024 and 20.1 trillion won in 2025. During the same period, the value of treasury stock cancellations rose from 4.8 trillion won to 13.9 trillion won and then to 21.4 trillion won. Cash dividends also increased from 43.1 trillion won in 2023 to 45.8 trillion won in 2024 and 50.9 trillion won in 2025.

The exchange plans to announce the list of companies with low PBRs for the first time on November 2 and is encouraging listed companies to disclose their corporate value enhancement plans. Companies with low PBRs are defined as KOSPI-listed firms in the bottom 25 percent and KOSDAQ-listed firms in the bottom 10 percent across markets and sectors for the most recent six consecutive half-years.

In this regard, WOOJINI&S first disclosed its corporate value enhancement plan—including a PBR improvement plan—on September 30. Companies that disclose a corporate value enhancement plan, including a PBR improvement plan, by the PBR reference date of October 22 will be exempt from being designated as low-PBR companies for one year.

The Value-Up Index closed at 3,228.34 points on September 30. This represents a 79.6% increase compared to the 1,797.52 points recorded at the end of the previous year, outperforming the KOSPI’s 62.3% gain and the KOSPI 200’s 78.5% gain by 17.3 percentage points and 1.1 percentage points, respectively, over the same period. The total net assets of the 13 Value-Up ETFs stood at 3.6 trillion won as of the end of September, a 640.3% increase from the time of their initial launch.

Meanwhile, as of the end of September, three companies—#Hancom, SJG SEJONG CO.,LTD.(033530), and NBT INC.(236810) —had submitted preliminary announcements regarding corporate value enhancement plans.