Updated Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes include 17 Korean firms

Mirae Asset Daewoo Building in Yeouido, western Seoul. [MIRAE ASSET DAEWOO]

Mirae Asset Daewoo has been listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes (DJSI World) for the ninth consecutive year, announced the company Sunday.

The DJSI is a global standard for sustainability assessment and investment, evaluating a company’s economic performance as well as its environmental and social aspects.

Among the top 2,540 companies in terms of market capitalization, 323 companies or 12.5 percent made it into the world index. Of those, 17 were Korean companies.

Mirae Asset Daewoo was among the five local financial companies included in the index this year, following efforts to continue sustainable growth.

It received an A-grade from Korea Corporate Governance Service’s environment, social and governance (ESG) assessment criteria, the highest grade which could be given out to a securities firm.

The securities firm also introduced new investment products to meet the international ESG standards, such as the Social Responsibility Investment foreign currency bonds, which invests in companies that try to solve social and environmental issues.

Other local companies extended their presence on the index.

Samsung Electronics has been listed on the index for 12 consecutive years. Samsung Securities, S-Oil and Hyundai Engineering & Construction were listed for 11 consecutive years. SK Group and LG Electronics also made the list for nine consecutive years. Shinhan Financial Holdings extended its presence for eight years, and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance for seven consecutive years.

“Under the group’s core values to fulfill our social responsibility, Mirae Asset Daewoo will maintain transparent management and strive for sustainable growth,” an official from the company said. “The ultimate direction for our company is to receive trust from our investors and contribute to society through finance by strengthening ESG management.”

The average score among all the companies included in the world index was 77.1 points. The same figure for local companies was slightly below the average, but 1.1 points higher than the previous year.

BY KANG JAE-EUN [kang.jaeeun@joongang.co.kr]