Samsung Electronics shares fell nearly 5% to around ₩230,000 today despite reporting a record third-quarter operating profit of ₩107.4 trillion (about $80 billion).
The KOSPI index dropped roughly 2.7% into the 5,800s, reversing earlier gains above 6,000 and weighed down by the heavyweight stock.
Chips drove nearly all of Samsung’s profit, while other divisions lagged.
Investors appear disappointed that further shareholder returns beyond the announced ₩30 trillion cash dividend were deferred to a January decision, even as the company outlined large AI-related capital spending.
The sell-off highlights how high expectations around returns can outweigh strong earnings.