Samsung Electronics says between 90 trillion and 110 trillion won could be available for shareholder returns in 2026, setting up what would be the largest investor-return program by a South Korean company.
The upper end is roughly $80 billion. Samsung said about 30 trillion won is planned for third-quarter cash dividends, including regular quarterly payouts. The remaining amount can be distributed through dividends, share buybacks and cancellations, with final decisions depending on business performance, investment requirements and cash flow.
The scale reflects the extraordinary profitability of the current memory-chip cycle. Demand for high-bandwidth memory and other semiconductors used in AI infrastructure has sharply lifted earnings across Korea’s chip industry.
The move also follows pressure from investors for Korean technology groups to return more of their excess cash. SK hynix has already announced a major buyback and cancellation program, increasing comparisons between the two memory-chip leaders.
For Samsung, the important question is how much of the announced range ultimately becomes cash dividends versus buybacks, and how the company balances shareholder returns against the enormous investment required to stay competitive in advanced memory and foundry technology.