Samsung Electronics still most valuable S. Korean brand, estimated at 67.7-T won

The brand value of Samsung Electronics Co. went up 2 percent from a year ago to 67.7 trillion won, the largest among South Korean companies.

Hyundai Motor, South Korea's No. 1 automaker, came in second with an estimated 5.7 trillion won, up 4.8 percent from last year.

Kia Motors, Hyundai's sister company, came in third at 7.1 trillion won.

Naver, the country's leading web portal operator, took fourth place at 6.1 trillion won.

According to a brand consulting firm Interbrand, the top four companies accounted for 63 percent of South Korea's top 50 companies' total brand value.

SK Telecom, the country's largest mobile carrier, was fifth on the list.

Sixth place went to Samsung Life Insurance, followed by KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank, LG Electronics, and SK Hynix.

The sharpest hike in brand value went to Kakao, which operates the country's top mobile messenger KakaoTalk.

Kakao's brand value went up 46.6 percent from last year to an estimated 1.6 trillion won.