November 26, 2024

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Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong is seen attending a court trial at the Seoul Central District Court over an alleged involvement in a controversial merger of key Samsung affiliates on Friday. (Yonhap)

Four family members of South Korea's largest conglomerate, including Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, have received a combined 235.46 billion won ($171.4 million) in dividends from Samsung Electronics in the first half, data showed Tuesday.

Among them, Hong Ra-hee, Samsung Electronics' de facto leader Lee's mother and wife of the late ex-Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, fetched 84.82 billion won in dividend income, outsizing Lee's 70.43 billion won and that of his sisters, Boo-jin and Seo-hyun, who took 40.09 billion won, respectively.

As a result, the four family members were the top four South Korean individuals who were paid the highest dividends during the January-June period, according to disclosures compiled by market tracker Leaders Index.

Hong owns a 1.99 percent stake in Samsung Electronics, including common shares and preference shares. Lee Jae-yong owns 1.65 percent, while Boo-jin and Seo-hyun hold 0.95 percent combined.

Samsung Electronics pays out 361 won per share -- both for common shares and preferred shares -- on a quarterly basis.

The dividend income is a major source of the Samsung family's inheritance tax payment, as they took over the shares owned by Lee Kun-hee and submitted the relevant filing to tax authorities in April 2021.

The four were to pay a combined 11 trillion won in inheritance tax in five rounds until 2026, with the first round of tax payment of 1.97 trillion won due in April this year. In addition to their dividend income, the Samsung family had been forced to cash in on shares of Samsung affiliates worth a combined 1.98 trillion won, and used Samsung affiliate shares as collateral for loans.

Excluding the Samsung family, Cho Young-shik, founder of test-kit maker SD Biosensor, topped the list with 22.81 billion won in dividend income in the first half.

The estimate was based on the compilation of disclosures by over 2,500 listed companies in Korea. The total dividend payout through the first half came to 9.12 trillion won, up 25.7 percent from the previous year. Also, the number of companies that paid out dividends in the first half reached 86, up by 22 compared with the previous year.

Of the total dividends paid out during the cited period, that from Samsung Electronics, 4.9 trillion won, accounted for 54 percent.

By Son Ji-hyoung (consnow@heraldcorp.com)