Company Description
Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) (NYSE: KEP) is a utilities-sector company engaged in nuclear electric power generation and related activities. According to its regulatory filings, KEPCO acts as a parent company for a group of power-related businesses and is involved in the development of electric power resources, the generation and transmission of electricity, and a range of associated services. The government of South Korea holds a controlling stake in Korea Electric Power Corp, and the company’s operations are focused on the electric utility industry.
KEPCO’s business is organized around several key activities. Its disclosed major businesses include the development of electric power resources, the generation, transmission, transformation and distribution of electricity, and research and development of technology related to these areas. The company also conducts overseas business related to electric power, makes investments and contributions connected to its core activities, and engages in the development and operation of certain real estate holdings. In addition, KEPCO may perform other businesses entrusted by the government, reflecting its role as a public power enterprise in South Korea.
Through its consolidated subsidiaries, KEPCO covers a broad spectrum of power generation and supporting services. Its filings state that nuclear power generation is carried out by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), while thermal power generation is handled by Korea South-East Power (KOSEP), Korea Midland Power (KOMIPO), Korea Western Power (KOWEPO), Korea Southern Power (KOSPO) and Korea East-West Power (EWP). Other subsidiaries focus on engineering services via KEPCO Engineering & Construction (KEPCO E&C), maintenance and repair of power plants through KEPCO Plant Service & Engineering (KEPCO KPS), ICT services via KEPCO KDN, and nuclear fuel processing through KEPCO Nuclear Fuel (KEPCO NF). KEPCO also reports overseas businesses and investments related to these power and service activities.
Segment information disclosed in KEPCO’s reports highlights electricity sales, nuclear generation, thermal generation, plant maintenance & engineering service, and other businesses including overseas operations. The company’s filings show that it purchases power from its generation subsidiaries, with volumes and expenses reported for KHNP and each thermal generation company. This structure illustrates KEPCO’s role as a central entity that coordinates power purchases from generation subsidiaries and manages sales across various customer sectors, such as residential, commercial, educational, industrial, agricultural, street lighting, and overnight usage, with unit prices disclosed in Korean won per kilowatt-hour.
KEPCO’s regulatory documents also provide insight into its capital structure and shareholder base. The company reports issued share capital in Korean won, a total number of issued shares, and information on authorized capital. Its filings state that there has been no change in major shareholders over a recent five-year period, and they describe dividend payments for a fiscal year, including the amount per share and the aggregate dividend total. These disclosures reflect KEPCO’s status as a listed company with both domestic and international investors, including holders of its NYSE-listed American depositary shares under the symbol KEP.
Corporate governance is a significant focus in KEPCO’s public reporting. The company describes a Board of Directors composed of standing and non-standing directors, with a requirement that non-standing directors outnumber standing directors. Subcommittees under the board include an Audit Committee, an ESG Committee, a Director Nomination Committee, and a Power System Committee. The Audit Committee reviews accounting and management issues and oversees internal control over financial reporting. The ESG Committee addresses environment, social and governance-related management issues, including ESG strategies and sustainable management. The Director Nomination Committee handles the nomination of new directors, and the Power System Committee conducts preliminary review of major power system implementation plans and related policies.
KEPCO’s governance reports describe policies aimed at protecting shareholders’ rights, including procedures for general meetings of shareholders, use of an electronic voting system, and disclosure practices around dividend decisions. The company outlines how agenda items for general meetings are resolved, how voting rights are exercised, and how dividend policies are determined in consultation with the government, taking into account investment plans, cash flows, and financial structure. These elements show how KEPCO frames its responsibilities to shareholders within the context of its role as a public power enterprise.
From an operational perspective, KEPCO’s filings present detailed financial information prepared under Korean International Financial Reporting Standards (K-IFRS). The company reports consolidated and separate financial statements, including sales, operating profit or loss, net income or loss, total assets, total liabilities, and total equity. It also discloses segment-level financial results for electricity sales, nuclear generation, thermal generation, plant maintenance & engineering services, and other business areas, along with adjustments for related-party transactions. These data provide investors with a view of how different parts of KEPCO’s business contribute to overall performance.
KEPCO also reports on its intellectual property portfolio. As of specific reporting dates, the company and its generation subsidiaries list numbers of patents, utility models, designs, and trademarks. The combined totals indicate a substantial number of registered intellectual property rights across KEPCO and its subsidiaries, reflecting ongoing research and development and technology-related activities in the power sector.
In addition to its core utility operations, KEPCO’s filings describe contributions to the Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH). The Board of Directors resolved to make contributions, with specified amounts to be used for construction of main facilities and operational expenses of KENTECH. These contributions are positioned within KEPCO’s broader involvement in energy technology and education-related initiatives.
Public communications from KEPCO emphasize its focus on carbon neutrality and future energy technologies. In connection with the Bitgaram International Exposition of Electric Power Technology (BIXPO 2021), KEPCO and other public power enterprises declared the “ZERO for Green” vision for carbon neutrality. This vision expresses a commitment to achieving carbon neutrality across the power industry value chain, from power generation and power networks to efficient consumption. KEPCO and its partners identified key technology development areas such as improving efficiency of energy supply and consumption, expanding renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions in the power generation industry, transforming to hydrogen and ammonia fuel, and establishing an intelligent power grid for power distribution to consumers.
KEPCO’s hosting of BIXPO 2021 under the theme of carbon neutrality further illustrates its role in presenting future energy technologies and directions for the energy industry. The exposition brought together companies and experts to discuss renewable energy, energy efficiency, and global trends toward carbon neutrality. KEPCO’s public statements describe its intention to lead decarbonization in the energy transition sector by innovating power supply systems and supporting implementation in other segments such as industry, transportation, and buildings. While these are policy and vision statements rather than specific financial forecasts, they indicate how KEPCO frames its long-term role in the energy transition.
For investors analyzing KEP stock, KEPCO’s regular filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including annual reports on Form 20-F and current reports on Form 6-K, provide ongoing information about its operations, financial results, governance, and strategic initiatives. The company’s disclosures cover audited consolidated financial statements, unaudited interim financial information, segment performance, power purchase data from generation subsidiaries, unit prices for electricity in different customer sectors, and details of board and committee activities. These materials form the primary source of information for understanding Korea Electric Power Corporation’s business within the nuclear electric power generation and broader utilities sector.