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”; zaibatsu ( def. )

Example Sentences

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

From Barron's

Mr. Lee, South Korea’s wealthiest person, according to Bloomberg News, is a scion of the family that founded Samsung, the largest of the family-run conglomerates known as chaebol that have transformed South Korea into an export superpower and influence nearly every facet of society.

From New York Times

Samsung is the largest and most successful of the South Korean conglomerates known as chaebol.

From New York Times

Some South Koreans speak proudly of the chaebol for having helped transform the country from a war-ravaged agrarian economy into a global export powerhouse.

From New York Times

Fictional chaebol families have been depicted in Korean dramas.

From New York Times