SK Inc. pays highest-ever dividend to shareholders

SK Inc., the holdings firm of South Korea’s third-largest conglomerate SK Group, will give out the largest-ever dividends to shareholders: 8,000 won ($6.6) per share.

The total dividend amount is 447.6 billion won, a 114 percent increase from 208.7 billion won in 2016. The figure is 21 percent up from the last year’s 370.1 billion won.

“The profit SK Inc. secured from the partial divestment of SK Biopharmaceuticals shares last year was reflected in the finances, leading to the growth of dividends this year,” a company official explained.

SK Inc. has been at the center of the green transition of SK Group’s financial investments. The holdings firm focuses on four key portfolios of advanced materials, bio, green and digital. Its 73 billion won stake in SES jumped six times to 430 billion won after the Boston-based next-generation electric vehicle company went public this month.

By Kim Byung-wook (kbw@heraldcorp.com)