A financial data screen in the dealing room of Woori Bank in Seoul on May 27, shows the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index having risen 4.31 percent from the previous session to an intraday high of 8,394.19 in early trading. South Korean stocks opened at a new record high, driven by strong gains in semiconductor stocks amid renewed tensions in the Middle East in search of a peace deal. [YONHAP]

Dividend payouts by listed firms in Korea rose about 17 percent from a year earlier in 2025 amid a rally in the local stock market, data showed Thursday.

According to the data compiled by the Korea Securities Depository, 1,246 firms that disclosed their dividend payouts in regulatory filings paid a combined 37.7 trillion won ($25 billion) in dividends last year, up 16.9 percent from a year earlier.

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By company, Samsung Electronics topped the list, paying 3.7 trillion won in dividends last year.