Dongnam Chemical

What Dongnam Chemical does

Dongnam Chemical Co., Ltd. (주식회사 동남합성) is a South Korean specialty chemical manufacturer specializing in surfactants (계면활성제), founded in October 1965 and listed on KOSPI since December 1996. The company pioneered South Korea's surfactant industry and remains one of its most established producers, offering a portfolio of 288 surfactant products spanning nonionic, anionic, cationic, and amphoteric chemistries marketed under brand families including MONOPOL, EMULON, MINOX, HITEX, MIPEARL, MIPHOS, MIGLON, and MICONATE. Manufacturing is concentrated at two Daesan plants in Seosan-si and the Tancheon Plant in Gongju-si, with dedicated R&D capabilities co-located at headquarters and sales operations run from the Anyang-si office serving both domestic and overseas markets across Asia, the Americas, MEA, Europe/Russia, and Oceania.

The company sells on a B2B sales-led basis into ten industrial verticals: I&I Cleaning, Household, Cosmetics, Paint & Coating, Agricultural, Construction, Food, Paper, Mining, and Miscellaneous Precision Chemicals. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and the company does not publish SKUs-level pricing. Differentiators include EFfCI GMP (cosmetics-grade exports to Europe, certified Aug 2025), RSPO sustainable palm oil certification (through Apr 2030), Halal Product Assurance System, ISO 9001/14001, and a Korean MFDS food additive manufacturing license for Polysorbate products (since 2017). Customer inquiries route through [email protected] and dedicated domestic/overseas phone lines.

Dongnam Chemical operates as a core subsidiary of Miwon Commercial Co., Ltd. (미원상사), within the broader Miwon Group conglomerate that includes Miwon Holdings, Miwon Specialty Chemical (UV/EB curing systems), Miwon Chemicals (sulfur and sulfuric acid feedstocks), Taekwang Fine Chemical (world No. 1 cobalt adhesion promoters for the tire industry), and Misung Trading. Kim Jung-don serves as Chairman and Park Mi-ryeong as Representative Director. The company has executed one notable M&A event — the August 2016 acquisition and merger with Miwon EOD Co., Ltd. — and has pursued a multi-year capacity buildout including the Tancheon Plant (2014), Chilgok Branch and Warehouse (2019), and ongoing regulatory certification programs in 2025.

Name

Dongnam Chemical

Legal name

주식회사 동남합성 (Dongnam Chemical Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://dongnamchem.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dongnam Chemical is a KOSPI-listed South Korean specialty chemical manufacturer founded in 1965, producing 288 surfactant products across nonionic, anionic, cationic, and amphoteric chemistries for B2B customers in cleaning, cosmetics, agriculture, food, construction, mining, paper, and precision chemicals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Chemicals (Surfactants)

NAICS

Surface Active Agent Manufacturing (325613), All Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing (32599)

SIC

Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Surfactants & Performance Additives (IMAEABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Commodity Surfactants & Detergent Base Chemicals (IMAEAAAI), Textile, Leather & Paper Specialty Chemicals (IMAEABAM)

Keywords

• Surfactant manufacturing
• Specialty chemicals
• Industrial cleaning agents
• Cosmetic ingredients
• Emulsifiers and dispersants

Headquarters

HQ city

Gongju

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Surfactant Manufacturing and Sales: Manufactures and supplies surfactants for various industrial applications including I&I Cleaning, Household, Cosmetics, Paint&Coating, Agricultural, Construction, Food, Paper, Mining, and Precision Chemicals

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Dongnam Chemical manufactures and supplies surfactants (anionic, non-ionic, cationic, and amphoteric) for industrial buyers across ten application sectors: I&I Cleaning, Household, Cosmetics, Paint & Coating, Agricultural, Construction, Food, Paper, Mining, and Misc. Precision Chemicals. Its product portfolio spans 288 SKUs across the MONOPOL, MINOX, HITEX, MIPHOS, MIGLON, MICONATE, SOFNOL, and EMULON series, sold via dedicated domestic and overseas sales teams through the Anyang Office.

Product overview

Dongnam Chemical is a surfactant manufacturer and supplier offering 288 chemical products across multiple product series. The company produces nonionic, anionic, cationic, and amphoteric surfactants under brand lines including MONOPOL (polyoxyethylene-based products), EMULON (emulsifiers), MINOX (fatty amine oxides), HITEX (esterquats), MIPHOS (alkyl phosphates), MIGLON (fatty ammonium sulfates), MICONATE (sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinates), and SOFNOL (amine derivatives). These products serve applications across ten industry sectors: I&I Cleaning, Household, Cosmetics, Paint&Coating, Agricultural, Construction, Food, Paper, Mining, and Misc. Precision Chemicals. The portfolio includes surfactants for detergency, emulsification, dispersion, wetting, antistatic treatment, foam control, moisturizing, and concrete admixtures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MONOPOL Series (Industrial & Institutional Cleaning Surfactants) Polyoxyethylene alcohol ether and related surfactants used for industrial cleaning, emulsification, dispersion, and wetting applications across I&I cleaning and other industries.
• Household Surfactant Product Lines (MONOPOL LAE, MINOX, MONOPOL PEG, HITEX, PA1139) Surfactant lines including polyoxyethylene lauryl ethers (MONOPOL LAE), fatty amine oxides (MINOX), polyethylene glycols (MONOPOL PEG), esterquat fabric softeners (HITEX), and sodium polyacrylate (PA1139) for dishwashing liquids, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, and air fresheners.
• Cosmetic Surfactant Product Lines (MONOPOL HYDRO EG, MONOPOL TWMLE20, MONOPOL TWMSE20, MONOPOL TWMOE20, MIPEARL P6GCL, MIPEARL P7GCC, MONOPOL HCOE40, MONOPOL PE62, MONOPOL PE64) Cosmetic-grade surfactants including Glycereth-26 (MONOPOL HYDRO EG), Polysorbate 20/60/80 (MONOPOL TWM series), PEG-6/PEG-7 glycerides (MIPEARL series), PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil (MONOPOL HCOE40), and Poloxamer 182/184 (MONOPOL PE62/64) for moisturizing, emulsification, and solubilization in cosmetic formulations.
• Paint & Coating Surfactant Product Lines (MONOPOL PPG, MONOPOL GP, MONOPOL OPE, MONOPOL NPE) Paint industry surfactants including polypropylene glycol (MONOPOL PPG), polypropylene glycol glycerol ether (MONOPOL GP), polyoxyethylene octyl phenyl ether (MONOPOL OPE), and polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether (MONOPOL NPE) for emulsification, wetting, and dispersion of solid pigments in liquid binders.
• Construction Surfactant Product Lines (MONOPOL VPEG2400, MONOPOL DEAP1W85) Polyethylene glycol monoalkyl allyl ether (MONOPOL VPEG2400) and Diethanolisopropanolamine (MONOPOL DEAP1W85) used as concrete additives to improve viscoelasticity, filling properties, water resistance, and strength.
• Food-Grade Surfactant Product Line (MONOPOL TW(F) series)

Quantifiable outcome

• First Korean company to export surfactants to Southeast Asia (1968)

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered parent and affiliate.

• Miwon Commercial Co., Ltd. (미원상사)parentOthersParent company and founding member of Miwon group. Established in 1959, Miwon Commercial is a chemical manufacturing company producing surfactants, photosensitizers, UV stabilizers, and anti-oxidants. Dongnam Chemical operates as part of the Miwon group of companies with shared management philosophy and integrated business operations.
• Miwon Holdings Co., Ltd. (미원홀딩스)parentOthersHolding company of Miwon Specialty Chemical and overseas investment corporations since June 2017. Part of the same corporate group as Dongnam Chemical.
• Miwon Specialty Chemical Co., Ltd. (미원스페셜티케미칼)affiliateOthersGlobal supplier of UV/EB curing systems including acrylate monomers, oligomers, and photoinitiators. Affiliated company within Miwon group.
• Miwon Chemicals Co., Ltd. (미원화학)affiliateOthersProduces sulfur, sulfuric acid, and sulphonic acid for basic chemicals and detergent raw materials. Affiliated company within Miwon group.
• Taekwang Fine Chemical Co., Ltd. (태광정밀화학)affiliateOthersLeading supplier of cobalt adhesion promoters for global tire industry under Corebond brand, maintaining world No. 1 market share. Affiliated company within Miwon group since July 1993.
• Misung Trading Co., Ltd. (미성통상)affiliateOthersTrading company affiliated with Miwon group, part of the integrated business network.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kao Corporation: Japanese personal care and chemicals major with a large surfactants business serving cosmetics, household, and industrial cleaning—directly comparable to Dongnam's MONOPOL and MINOX chemistries across overlapping end-markets.
• Innospec Inc. US specialty chemicals company with a Performance Chemicals segment selling surfactants, specialty additives, and fuel/oilfield chemicals—comparable in horizontal application breadth across cleaning, construction, and agricultural adjuvants.
• Galaxy Surfactants: India-based specialty surfactant manufacturer with anionic, non-ionic, and amphoteric portfolios serving personal care and I&I cleaning—closely analogous to Dongnam's horizontal specialty surfactant model.
• Lion Corporation: Japanese household and industrial chemical maker producing fatty alcohol ethoxylates, amine oxides, and esterquats (HITEX-equivalent); its household and I&I cleaning products overlap Dongnam's household and I&I cleaning verticals.
• Stepan Company: US specialty surfactant and polymer producer serving personal care, cleaning, agricultural, and industrial markets; comparable in product breadth and chemistry types (anionic, non-ionic, cationic, amphoteric).

Broad incumbents

• Croda International: UK-listed global specialty ingredients leader; competes with Dongnam in personal care surfactants and cosmetic emollients (MIPEARL/MONOPOL HYDRO EG-equivalent chemistries) but at much larger scale.
• Clariant AG: Swiss specialty chemicals producer with Care Chemicals and Industrial Applications segments competing in personal care, paints, mining, and agricultural adjuvants—same end-markets and surfactant chemistries as Dongnam.
• BASF SE: Global chemical incumbent whose Care Chemicals and Performance Chemicals divisions overlap Dongnam's household, I&I cleaning, agricultural, and paint adjuvants; broader portfolio but overlapping surfactant chemistries.
• Evonik Industries: German specialty chemicals major with surfactants, additives, and coating/paint chemistries comparable to Dongnam's MONOPOL OPE/NPE and PPG lines; serves similar I&I cleaning and cosmetics customers globally.
• Solvay SA: Belgian chemical manufacturer with specialty surfactants, polymers, and silica lines serving cosmetics, home care, and industrial applications—overlapping capability set to Dongnam's specialty surfactant portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dongnam Chemical