Samsung just dropped Korea’s biggest shareholder return plan ever. The board approved a 2026 package of ₩90–110 trillion. That is roughly five times the previous record from 2020. About ₩30 trillion in cash dividends is planned for the third quarter, with exact details due at the end of October. The rest of the amount and form (more dividends, buybacks or cancellations) will be set in January 2027 after full-year numbers. Separately, it also cleared a ₩15 trillion buyback for employee compensation. This sits on top of its existing policy to return 50% of free cash flow from 2024–2026. The fuel is clear: AI-driven memory demand. Second-quarter operating profit jumped 18 times year-on-year. Analysts now see full-year profit near ₩380 trillion and free cash flow potentially above ₩200 trillion. The move follows SK Hynix’s ₩40 trillion buyback and tracks peers like Micron that are also raising capital returns. Some investors wanted even bigger numbers in the ₩150–200 trillion range, so the final figure came in a bit below peak hopes and triggered a mild after-hours dip. Still, this is a strong signal that Samsung plans to share the semiconductor supercycle with shareholders while keeping room for future investment.