Samsung ranks 62nd in U.N. corporate ranking

GENEVA, Sept. 24 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. was the 62nd largest non-financial company in the world in terms of asset size in 2006, the highest spot among South Korean companies, a United Nations report showed Wednesday.

Samsung, which has the biggest market value among South Korean companies, moved
up 25 notches from the previous year, according to the report compiled by the
U.N. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The report did not disclose
actual asset figures.
General Electric Co. of the United States topped the list, followed by BP PLC and
Toyota Motor Corp. British mobile operator Vodafone Group PLC, which ranked 3rd
in 2005, stood as the seventh-largest company, and General Motors Corp. of the
U.S. took the 26th spot.
Hyundai Motor Co., which is the world's sixth-largest automaker with its
affiliate Kia Motors Corp., clinched the 90th spot, entering the top-100 list for
the first time. LG Electronics Inc., Samsung's domestic rival in the home
appliances market, dropped out of the list after making it to the 92nd spot in
2005.
Approximately 90 percent of all the top 100 companies were from the U.S., Europe
and Japan. Only 6 companies from developing economies, including Samsung and
Hyundai, made the list.
The U.N. agency also noted that the companies' overseas activities increased
significantly during the year and that developing nations' companies showed the
highest growth rate in overseas business activities.
odissy@yna.co.kr