Doosan Group

In 1896, a small textile shop opened on Jongno Street in Seoul. That shop, founded by Park Seung-jik, would grow into Doosan Group, South Korea's oldest continuously operating company. For over 125 years, Doosan has transformed from a retail trader into a global industrial powerhouse. Today it operates in more than 40 countries, with businesses spanning compact construction equipment, energy, robotics, and fuel cells.

Doosan's modern identity is built around its heavy equipment division. Its subsidiary Doosan Bobcat is the world's leading manufacturer of compact construction equipment, including skid-steer loaders and mini excavators. The company also builds nuclear and thermal power plants, hydrogen fuel cells, and collaborative robots. In 2023, the group posted consolidated revenue of about 18.5 trillion KRW (roughly $14 billion).

The Park family still controls the conglomerate through a web of cross-shareholdings, with Chairman Park Jeong-won at the helm since the 1990s. Doosan has faced its share of controversies, labor strikes at its heavy industries plants, environmental fines, and criticism over family governance. But it remains a fixture of the Korean economy, sponsoring the Doosan Bears baseball team and investing heavily in green energy and automation.[edit]