"Wow" at Samsung Electronics’ Stock Surpassing 200,000 Won, Sharp Questions on Talent War... Inside the Shareholders' Meeting

57th Regular Shareholders' Meeting of Samsung Electronics
Agenda Includes Appointment of Directors Such as President Kim Yongkwan
Jeon Younghyun and Roh Taemoon Present 2026 Business Strategies

At 8 a.m. on March 18, the 57th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of Samsung Electronics was held at the Suwon Convention Center. Despite the inclement weather that left umbrellas and coats wet, shareholders heading to the venue seemed more upbeat than ever. If last year’s meeting became a forum for shareholders to express dissatisfaction about the company’s High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) performance, this year’s attendees were clearly filled with anticipation that “Samsung is finally launching a counterattack.”

On the 18th, shareholders are going through the admission process at the Suwon Convention Center, where the 57th regular shareholders' meeting of Samsung Electronics was held. Photo by Jinyoung Kim

As in previous years, Samsung Electronics welcomed shareholders at the entrance to the shareholders' meeting by showcasing its flagship products, including the Galaxy S26 Ultra, Micro RGB TV, and Bespoke AI home appliances. Notably, the 7th-generation High Bandwidth Memory (HBM4E), which made its debut at Nvidia’s “GTC 2026,” was displayed alongside the 6th-generation HBM4 chip, underscoring the company’s confidence in its leadership in semiconductor technology.

On the 18th, the 57th Samsung Electronics Annual General Meeting of Shareholders was held at Suwon Convention Center, where the display of High Bandwidth Memory HBM4 (6th generation) and HBM4E (7th generation) was showcased. Photo by Jinyoung Kim

Jeon Younghyun, Vice Chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics who presided over the meeting, stated, “Despite the challenging domestic and global environment last year, the company achieved a record-high revenue of 333.6 trillion won. However, we are not complacent and continue to invest in facility expansion and research and development.” He added, “In addition to the regular annual dividend of 980 billion won for 2025, we plan to pay an additional 130 billion won in special dividends.”

He also discussed the business plan for 2026. Vice Chairman Jeon emphasized, “The Device Solutions (DS) division of Samsung Electronics is the only semiconductor company in the world capable of providing a ‘one-stop solution’—from logic and memory to foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing) and packaging. We will continue to build our technological competitiveness to secure leadership in the AI semiconductor market.” Regarding the DX division, he said, “By organically integrating AI technology across all functions and services, we will provide customers with the best AI experience and lead the AI transformation era.”

On the 18th, Younghyun Jeon, Vice Chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics and head of the Device Solutions (DS) division, who presided over the 57th Samsung Electronics Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, delivered the opening remarks. Photo by Jinyoung Kim

During the Q&A session, most shareholders began by celebrating and expressing gratitude for the rise in the company’s stock price. Around 9:40 a.m., while the meeting was underway, Samsung Electronics’ share price recovered to 200,000 won during trading, further boosting the positive atmosphere at the event.

However, shareholders also raised pointed questions about the company’s future competitiveness. One shareholder commented, “It seems there is a fierce talent war, both domestically and internationally,” and requested an explanation regarding Samsung Electronics' competitiveness in wages compared to its rivals, as well as its response to the outflow of talent.

Vice Chairman Jeon responded, “It is true that the recent underperformance in the semiconductor sector led to a lower performance-based bonus rate, which made our wage competitiveness fall behind that of our competitors. However, as our semiconductor products have regained competitiveness since last year, the rate of performance-based bonuses is increasing. We are also raising wage competitiveness through various reward systems, such as providing individual incentives to outstanding talent.”

On the 18th, shareholders at the 57th regular general meeting of Samsung Electronics observed the exhibited Bespoke AI home appliances and medical device products. Photo by Jin-young Kim

The agenda for this shareholders’ meeting included: partial amendments to the articles of incorporation; approval of financial statements; appointment of Kim Yongkwan as inside director; appointment of Heo Eunnyoung as outside director and Audit Committee member; approval of the director remuneration limit; and approval of the plan to hold and dispose of treasury shares.

After the agenda votes, Vice Chairman Jeon and Tae Moon Roh, President and CEO of the DX division, shared the respective 2026 business strategies by division and held a separate “Dialogue with Shareholders” session. Key executives present included Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Park Soonchul, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Song Jae-hyuk, President Yong Seokwoo, head of the Visual Display (VD) Business Division, and Vice President Kim Chulgi, head of the Digital Appliances (DA) Business Division.

On the 18th, shareholders are entering the venue for the 57th regular shareholders' meeting of Samsung Electronics. Photo by Jinyoung Kim

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.