Samsung Electronics chief tops dividend recipient list in S. Korea last year
Samsung Electronics Co. Chairman Lee Jae-yong received the largest amount of dividends in South Korea last year, a corporate data tracker said Tuesday.
Leaders Index surveyed 560 companies, which provided dividends in the form of cash and cash equivalents to their shareholders in 2024 to count up their overall dividends.
The 560 firms provided a total of 40.7 trillion won ($28.2 billion) in dividends to their shareholders last year, up 10.4 percent from a year earlier, the survey showed.
Lee received 346.5 billion won in dividends last year, up 7.1 percent from a year ago.
Hyundai Motor Group Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-koo and his only son, Euisun Chung, executive chair of the group, ranked second and third, respectively, with dividends of 189.2 billion won and 174.7 billion won.
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won ranked seventh with an annual dividend of 91 billion won.
Among the surveyed companies, 285 companies provided more dividends last year, 94 firms maintained the same dividend levels compared with 2023, and 181 firms cut them.
SK hynix, a key affiliate of SK Group, nearly doubled its dividends after reporting record earnings results last year on higher demand for artificial intelligence chips. (Yonhap)
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