Goldman Sachs said in a Sept. 9 report that shareholder returns are likely to increasingly drive South Korean equity performance, complementing earnings growth and helping reverse perceptions of weak corporate capital returns. Policy moves — a “corporate value enhancement” plan, dividend tax incentives and proposed tax changes for buybacks — are shifting from voluntary disclosure toward substantive incentives and stronger accountability for capital allocation and payouts. On fundamentals, consen

Goldman Sachs said in a Sept. 9 report that shareholder returns are likely to increasingly drive South Korean equity performance, complementing earnings growth and helping reverse perceptions of weak corporate capital returns. Policy moves — a “corporate value enhancement” plan, dividend tax incentives and proposed tax changes for buybacks — are shifting from voluntary disclosure toward substantive incentives and stronger accountability for capital allocation and payouts. On fundamentals, consensus earnings and free cash flow forecasts have been revised up while corporate balance sheets retain ample cash, supporting larger dividends and buybacks without materially pressuring capex or balance-sheet quality. Buybacks and treasury-stock cancellations are accelerating and high-dividend opportunities are broadening. Goldman expects aggregate dividends plus buybacks to rise sharply in 2026–27, lifting total shareholder return to roughly 9% in 2026 and about 14% in 2027.