Seoul: Dividend payouts by listed firms in South Korea surged approximately 17 percent in 2025, reflecting a significant rally in the local stock market, data revealed on Thursday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, data compiled by the Korea Securities Depository indicated that 1,246 firms, which disclosed their dividend payouts in regulatory filings, collectively distributed 37.7 trillion won (US$25 billion) in dividends last year. This marks a 16.9 percent increase compared to the previous year.

Samsung Electronics Co. led the list of companies, dispensing 3.7 trillion won in dividends. Kia Corp. followed closely with 2.6 trillion won, and SK hynix Inc. distributed 1.3 trillion won.

The data further showed that local firms received a total of 15.7 trillion won in dividend payouts last year, marking a 17.2 percent year-on-year increase. Foreign investors saw their dividend earnings rise by 21.3 percent on-year, receiving a total of 11.8 trillion won. Meanwhile, retail investors collected 10.1 trillion won in payments, representing an 11.6 percent increase compared to the previous year.