"Samsung Electronics, Please Fall to 100,000 Won"... Investors Fume Over Anonymous Post Welcoming Stock Decline

Post by User Believed to Be Samsung Electronics Employee Sparks Controversy Online
If Bonus Amount Stays the Same, Number of Shares Increases

With Samsung Electronics' share price plunging more than 9% in a single day, controversy erupted after a user believed to be an employee posted online a message that appeared to express hope that the stock would fall. The reason was that the lower the share price, the more shares employees would receive when their special performance bonuses are paid in company stock next year.

On October 15, a post by a user believed to be a Samsung Electronics employee appeared on the company's board on Blind, an anonymous online community for office workers. The user wrote, "I really hope the share price falls to 100,000 won." Another user appeared to welcome the decline, saying, "It's actually better if the share price goes down."

A post uploaded to the online community Blind by a user believed to be a Samsung Electronics employee. Screenshot from Blind.

Earlier, Samsung Electronics' labor and management agreed to pay a special performance bonus equivalent to 10.5% of the DS Division's operating profit this year. The bonus will be paid in Samsung Electronics shares, with taxes and insurance premiums deducted from the amount, and is scheduled to be distributed between March and April next year.

If the bonus amount remains unchanged even as Samsung Electronics' share price falls, each employee will receive more shares. For example, a bonus of 100 million won would buy 400 shares at a price of 250,000 won, but 1,000 shares at 100,000 won. In effect, this gives employees an opportunity to acquire more company shares for the same amount.

However, the posts sparked controversy among some investors after they became known. A user on Blind who identified themselves as a Samsung Electronics shareholder voiced frustration, asking, "Does it make sense to use my investment money to make profits selling semiconductors and then give 10% of that to employees as bonuses?"

It has not been confirmed whether the authors of these posts are employees of the Device Solutions (DS) Division, which oversees Samsung Electronics' semiconductor business. Others have argued that only a very small number of employees would welcome a decline in the share price, since many Samsung Electronics employees already own company stock and would lose money if the price fell.

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics closed at 210,000 won on October 15, down 22,000 won (9.48%) from the previous trading day. The price was down about 44% from its June peak of 374,500 won.

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