Samsung Electronics’ board has approved a 2026 shareholder return of KRW 90–110 trillion — roughly five times its previous record — including about KRW 30 trillion in Q3 dividends and a KRW 15 trillion employee-compensation buyback.
Samsung Approves Record KRW 90–110 Trillion Shareholder Return for 2026 — 5x Its Previous High
Samsung Electronics’ Board of Directors has approved a shareholder return plan for 2026 estimated at approximately KRW 90 trillion to KRW 110 trillion (roughly $65–$79 billion at current exchange rates), which the company says is the largest shareholder return ever announced by a Korean company.
The New Record Is Nearly 5x Samsung’s Previous High of KRW 20.3 Trillion
The 2026 figure is approximately five times the size of Samsung’s previous record of KRW 20.3 trillion, set in 2020. Samsung frames the move as a deliberate step to ensure the company’s growth translates into tangible shareholder benefit, describing it as part of a “virtuous cycle” between corporate growth and shareholder value creation.
It’s the Payoff of a Three-Year Promise: 50% of Free Cash Flow Back to Shareholders
The record return isn’t a one-off decision — it’s the capstone of a three-year shareholder return policy covering 2024 through 2026, under which Samsung committed to allocating 50% of its free cash flow to shareholder returns. From 2024 to 2025, the company paid out a total of KRW 19.6 trillion in regular dividends (KRW 9.8 trillion annually), plus a KRW 1.3 trillion special dividend and a KRW 8.4 trillion share buyback and cancellation in 2025. Including the newly approved 2026 return, Samsung expects the full three-year total (2024–2026) to land between KRW 120 trillion and KRW 140 trillion — roughly $87–$101 billion at current exchange rates.
KRW 30 Trillion in Dividends Are Coming in Q3 2026 Alone
Samsung said it plans to distribute approximately KRW 30 trillion (roughly $22 billion) in cash dividends in the third quarter of 2026, including its regular quarterly payout, with exact details to be finalized at the company’s October board meeting. The remaining portion of the 2026 shareholder return — a mix of additional cash dividends and share buybacks or cancellations — will be determined at Samsung’s January 2027 board meeting, once full-year 2026 financial results are confirmed.
A Separate KRW 15 Trillion Buyback Is Earmarked for Employee Compensation
Alongside the shareholder return plan, Samsung’s board also approved a separate share buyback worth approximately KRW 15 trillion (roughly $10.8 billion) specifically for employee compensation purposes — a move the company says is also expected to support shareholder value.
What Comes Next
Samsung said it remains committed to fully implementing its shareholder return policy and to actively communicating updates with shareholders and the market as the remaining 2026 details — and any policy beyond the current three-year window — are finalized.