Korea Electric Power Corporation, better known as KEPCO (Hangul: 켑코) or Hanjeon (Hangul: 한전), is the largest electric utility in South Korea, responsible for the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity and the development of electric power projects including those in nuclear power, wind power and coal. KEPCO, through its subsidiaries, is responsible for 93% of Korea's electricity generation as of 2011. The South Korean government (directly and indirectly) owns a 51.11% share of KEPCO. Together with its affiliates and subsidiaries, KEPCO has an installed capacity of 65,383 MW. On the 2011 Fortune Global 500 ranking of the world's largest companies, KEPCO was ranked 271. KEPCO is a member of the World Energy Council, the World Nuclear Association and the World Association of Nuclear Operators. As of August 2011, KEPCO possesses an A+ credit rating with Fitch Ratings, while Moody's has assigned KEPCO an A1 stable rating.
Originally located in Samseong-dong, Seoul, KEPCO headquarters was relocated to the city of Naju in South Jeolla Province in August 2014 as part of a government decentralization program. The move, which has been in the works for years has been controversial. Jong-Kap Kim is the president and CEO of KEPCO.
History
KEPCO traces its origins to Hanseong Jeongi Hoesa (Seoul Electric Company), founded in 1898 during the Korean Empire. It was wholly invested by King Gojong, who had a special interest in implementing electrical business in Korea; internally, the imperial-invested company was funded through Hanseong Electric's president Lee Chae-yeon. Subsequently, American business Henry Collbran and Harry Rice Bostwick were contracted to manage Seoul's streetcars, lights, and telephone systems.
Hanseong Electric completed its first power plant in 1899 at Dongdaemun. By the end of that year, the company had succeeded in launching its streetcar service, and soon after had turned on its first electric lights in Seoul’s Jongno Street. With a monopoly on Seoul’s electricity and streetcar systems, Hanseong Electric continued to build up its public lighting network into the turn of the century, and began offering electrical service to private homes as well.
The company had also established a movie theater of which could be travelled to via the main line, a streetcar line that went through downtown Seoul and multiple districts; experts recall that opening an electric movie theater was part of a marketing ploy to promote the convenience of trains and attract tram passengers. A total of three lines were constructed, all of which connecting 5 different districts of Seoul (Seodaemun-Jongno-Dongdaemun-Cheongnyangni (Main Line), Jongno-Namdaemun-Yongsan (Yongsan Line), and Seodaemun-Namdaemun (Uiju Line)). Up until the Eulsa Treaty, the company had proved successful in expansion. Supporting the expansion included the enthusiastic support of Allen, a U.S. Legation official, including Lee Chae-yeon (the president), William F. Sands, a former secretary appointed as an internal adviser to the palace, and the active support of pro-American officials in Korea, including Lee Yoon-yong, Min Young-hwan, Min Sang-ho, and Kang Seok-ho.
The company's president Lee Chae-yeon, of which was a pro-American leader, died in August 1900. Upon this, non pro-American Lee Yong-ik joined the executives of Hanseong Electric Company, tightly controlling the company's funding and strictly blocking Collbran's business expansion plans. Claimed it broke the mortgage contract, Collbran responed in demand for the repayment of debts related to the railroad construction project and pressed on profits. Lee Yong-ik refuted Collbran's request based on the "Brown Paper," which stated that Collbran's claims were over-inflated; this caused tensions to rise. Soon, a new contract was signed to settle the debt dispute of Hanseong Electric Company. Gojong mutually withdrew all demands between the two sides, and in February 1904 established Hanmi Electric Company (韓美電氣會社) to hand over all rights and assets. The management of Hanmi Electric Company was held by Collbran, and 50% of the company's shares were acquired by Gojong which increased his involvement and management of the company as the majority shareholder.