The short answer
The nine largest software and IT companies headquartered in South Korea, ranked by reported number of employees, are Samsung SDS, Naver, Kakao, Krafton, Smilegate, Netmarble, LG CNS, NC (formerly NCSoft) and Hancom. Samsung SDS is the largest, with about 12,501 employees (2019). We could verify nine companies meeting our criteria, so this list is shorter than ten rather than padded with unverified names.
The nine companies at a glance
| # | Company | Headquarters | Founded | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samsung SDS | Seoul | 1985 | 12,501 (2019) |
| 2 | Naver | Seongnam | 1999 | 5,047 (2025) |
| 3 | Kakao | Jeju City | 2006 | 3,992 (2025) |
| 4 | Krafton | Seoul | 2018 | 3,400+ |
| 5 | Smilegate | Seongnam | 2002 | about 3,300 (2023) |
| 6 | Netmarble | Seoul | 2000 | 3,000 (in Korea) (2016) |
| 7 | LG CNS | Seoul | 1987 | Not stated |
| 8 | NC (formerly NCSoft) | Seongnam | 1997 | Not stated |
| 9 | Hancom | Seongnam | 1990 | Not stated |
Ranked by the most recent employee count stated on each company’s Wikipedia article or official website, checked 24 October 2026. Years in brackets show when that figure applies; companies without a stated figure are listed last.
The companies in detail
1Samsung SDS
SeoulProvides IT consulting, cloud, logistics technology and outsourcing services, and develops AI, blockchain and IoT technology.
- Headquarters
- Seoul
- Founded
- 1985
- Employees
- 12,501 (2019)
- Ownership
- Public company (KRX: 018260), part of Samsung Group
2Naver
SeongnamSouth Korea’s leading internet company, running the Naver search portal plus commerce, payments, webtoons and cloud services.
- Headquarters
- Seongnam
- Founded
- 1999
- Employees
- 5,047 (2025)
- Ownership
- Public company (KRX: 035420)
3Kakao
Jeju CityThe internet company behind KakaoTalk, Korea’s dominant messaging app, with businesses in payments, banking, entertainment, games and mobility.
- Headquarters
- Jeju City
- Founded
- 2006
- Employees
- 3,992 (2025)
- Ownership
- Public company (KRX: 035720)
4Krafton
SeoulA game publisher and holding company behind PUBG: Battlegrounds and inZOI.
- Headquarters
- Seoul
- Founded
- 2018
- Employees
- 3,400+
- Ownership
- Public company (KRX: 259960)
5Smilegate
SeongnamDevelops and publishes online games for PC and mobile, including the shooter Crossfire and Lost Ark.
- Headquarters
- Seongnam
- Founded
- 2002
- Employees
- about 3,300 (2023)
- Ownership
- Private (owned by founder Kwon Hyuk-bin)
6Netmarble
SeoulA major mobile game developer and publisher known for role-playing titles such as Lineage 2: Revolution.
- Headquarters
- Seoul
- Founded
- 2000
- Employees
- 3,000 (in Korea) (2016)
- Ownership
- Public company (KRX: 251270)
7LG CNS
SeoulAn IT services company offering AI, cloud, smart factory, logistics, systems integration and outsourcing services.
- Headquarters
- Seoul
- Founded
- 1987
- Employees
- Not stated
- Ownership
- Public company (KRX: 064400), part of LG Group
8NC (formerly NCSoft)
SeongnamA game developer and publisher best known for massively multiplayer online games such as Lineage and Guild Wars; renamed NC in 2026.
- Headquarters
- Seongnam
- Founded
- 1997
- Employees
- Not stated
- Ownership
- Public company
9Hancom
SeongnamDevelops office software, including the Hangul word processor built for the Korean language.
- Headquarters
- Seongnam
- Founded
- 1990
- Employees
- Not stated
- Ownership
- Public company (KOSDAQ: 030520)
Also worth knowing
These companies did not make the ranking, for the reason given, but are often mentioned alongside it.
- Coupang: Often called the “Amazon of Korea”, with about 95,000 employees (2024) and most operations in South Korea; legally headquartered in Seattle.
What this list tells us about South Korea’s software industry
- Seoul is the main hub. 4 of the nine companies on this list are headquartered there, with others in Seongnam, Jeju City.
- A long track record. The oldest company here, Samsung SDS, was founded in 1985; the youngest, Krafton, in 2018.
- Founding wave. More companies on this list were founded in the 1990s (3) than in any other decade.
- Ownership mix. 8 of the nine are publicly listed and 1 are subsidiaries of, or majority-owned by, other groups; the rest are independent private companies, cooperatives or state-linked organisations.
South Korea at a glance
- Capital
- Seoul
- Official languages
- Korean
- Currency
- South Korean won (KRW)
- Population
- 51.1 million (2026 est.)
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $37,412 (2026 est.)
Economy. Exports are led by semiconductors and AI-related equipment, about 40% of the total.
Technology. South Korea has some of the world’s fastest internet connections.
Country figures from Wikipedia’s article on South Korea, checked 24 October 2026. Estimates are rounded and dated as stated there.
Working with software companies in South Korea
- Time zone. South Korea uses UTC+09:00 all year, with no daylight saving time. Agree overlap hours in writing before a project starts.
- Data protection. Check which data protection law applies to any personal data you share, and put the obligations into your contract.
- Due diligence. Large companies on this list mostly sell their own products or enterprise services. If you need a development partner for a specific project, ask for case studies, interview the engineers and start with a short paid trial. Our guide on how to choose an IT staff augmentation company includes a free vendor scorecard.
- Budget. Typical 2026 hourly rates by region are in our IT staff augmentation cost and rates guide.
How we built this list
- Candidates. We started from Wikipedia’s list of companies of South Korea, the country’s best-known technology firms and companies regularly named in the local and international business press.
- Scope. We kept companies whose main business is software, IT services or a software-based platform, and that are headquartered in South Korea. Telecom operators, banks and hardware makers were left out, as were local offices of foreign groups. Companies founded in South Korea but now headquartered abroad are listed separately when relevant.
- Verification. For every company we checked headquarters, founding year, ownership, size and whether it is still active against its Wikipedia article or, where none exists, its own official website, on 24 October 2026. Each entry links to the page we checked.
- Ranking. Companies are ranked by their most recently stated number of employees, the most comparable size measure available for public and private firms alike.
- No payments. No company paid or was asked to appear. iCreativez Technologies is itself a software and IT services company, so we do not include or rank ourselves on country lists.
Employee figures come from different years, are sometimes self-reported on company websites and sometimes count a whole group rather than one company, so treat the ranking as a guide to scale rather than an exact league table.
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Software companies in nearby countries
Frequently asked questions
What is the largest software company in South Korea?
By reported number of employees, Samsung SDS is the largest software and IT company headquartered in South Korea, with about 12,501 employees (2019). It provides IT consulting, cloud, logistics technology and outsourcing services, and develops AI, blockchain and IoT technology.
Which city is the main software hub in South Korea?
Among the companies on this list, Seoul is home to the most: 4 of the nine are headquartered there.
What is the oldest software company in South Korea on this list?
Samsung SDS, founded in 1985 and headquartered in Seoul.
How did you choose the software companies in South Korea?
We considered the best-known companies headquartered in South Korea whose main business is software or IT services. We verified each one against its Wikipedia article or official website and ranked them by reported number of employees. No company paid to be included.
Why are there fewer than 10 companies for South Korea?
We only list companies we could verify. Rather than pad the list with names we cannot confirm, we show nine verified companies and suggest nearby markets.
What is the economy of South Korea based on?
Exports are led by semiconductors and AI-related equipment, about 40% of the total. South Korea has some of the world’s fastest internet connections.
What languages and currency are used for business in South Korea?
The official language is Korean, and the currency is the South Korean won (KRW).
Can I hire software developers to work with a team in South Korea?
Yes. Many businesses combine local partners with remote developers. iCreativez Technologies provides dedicated developers and offshore teams that can work your hours; see our dedicated developers page or contact us.
Sources
All company details were checked on 24 October 2026 against these pages:
- Wikipedia: List of companies of South Korea
- Samsung SDS: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_SDS
- Naver: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naver_Corporation
- Kakao: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakao
- Krafton: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krafton
- Smilegate: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smilegate
- Netmarble: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netmarble
- LG CNS: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LG_CNS
- NC (formerly NCSoft): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCSoft
- Hancom: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hancom
- Wikipedia: South Korea (country profile)
If you represent a company on this page and a detail has changed, contact us and we will review it. Related guides: top IT staff augmentation companies 2026 · staff augmentation vs outsourcing vs managed services.