The Great Place to Work (GPTW) Selection Committee has named 100 business leaders as this year’s Most Respected CEO in Korea, an award determined directly by employees. Each year, GPTW recognizes CEOs who have built outstanding workplaces through ethical leadership and a strong sense of mission.

Employees evaluate their CEOs using a global standard evaluation model and a trust index evaluation, across nine leadership-related elements and 41 survey statements covering communication, business execution capability, ethical management, support, participation, care, fairness, equity and justice.

The CEOs recognized this year share a consistent management philosophy: employee satisfaction is the foundation of sustainable performance. Rather than focusing solely on short-term financial indicators, they prioritize transparent communication, fair opportunity and compensation and genuine support for professional growth to foster high-engagement cultures that translate directly into competitive advantage.

Global benchmarks further contextualize Korea’s position. The 2025-2026 trust index averages stand at 76 for Korea — compared to 80 for Japan, 87 for the United States’ Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For, 89 for Europe and 90 for Latin America. Analysts suggest that strengthening fairness and camaraderie within Korean organizations will be critical to narrowing this gap and enhancing long-term competitiveness.

As corporate leadership standards evolve, the message from this year’s evaluation is clear: high-performing companies are built on trust, and trust begins with leadership. In today’s business environment, respected CEOs are not defined merely by market performance, but by their ability to cultivate workplaces where employees feel valued, heard and proud to belong.

By listening carefully to employees’ voices, addressing their concerns with genuine care and providing both tangible and intangible support to build a culture of trust, the honored CEOs have fostered organizations that achieve both high engagement and strong performance, contributing meaningfully to industry advancement.

Here are the 100 CEOs selected as the winners of the award for 2026 Most Respected CEO in Korea.

Source: Korea Times News