“Let Samsung Electronics fall to 100,000 won” ... Shareholders push back as employees welcome sharp stock plunge

[Financial News] Samsung Electronics shares plunged to 210,000 won, prompting controversy after some employees posted that they hoped the price would fall further. They said that if the share price is low when next year’s special management performance bonuses are paid in stock, they can receive more shares. Shareholders who have suffered losses from the falling share price expressed discontent with the employees’ remarks.
According to industry sources on the 16th, several posts wishing for the share price to fall further were shared on Samsung Electronics’ board on Blind, an anonymous online community for office workers.
A user identified on the board as a Samsung Electronics employee, referred to as A, wrote, “Please, let the share price fall to 100,000 won.”
Another user, referred to as B, argued, “From the perspective of the Device Solutions (DS) division, a higher share price only increases the risk associated with the special management performance bonus (OPI2),” and added, “It’s better to receive the bonus when the share price is low.”
A similar post appeared on Blind’s stock investment board. A user identified as a Samsung Electronics employee, referred to as C, wrote, “Even when stocks fall, Samsung Electronics employees keep winning,” adding, “Even if we take losses on stocks, the gap will widen further as Dongtan real estate and bonuses surge.”
However, the users’ actual departments and identities could not be verified.
The reason employees welcome the fall in the share price is the special management performance bonus, scheduled to be paid sometime between late March and early April 2027. Samsung Electronics’ labor and management agreed to use 10.5% of this year’s operating profit from the Device Solutions (DS) division to fund the bonuses.
The bonus is paid in Samsung Electronics shares after taxes, insurance premiums and other deductions are taken from each employee’s individual payment.
The number of shares employees receive depends on Samsung Electronics’ share price when the bonus is paid. Even for a bonus of the same value, a lower share price means they receive more shares.
For example, if an employee’s after-tax bonus is 100 million won, they would receive 400 shares when Samsung Electronics’ share price is 250,000 won, but could receive 500 shares if it fell to 200,000 won. If the share price rises again, the valuation gains of employees who received more shares could also increase.
Meanwhile, ordinary investors holding Samsung Electronics shares have suffered losses from the sharp drop and are criticizing the employees’ reactions.
On the 15th, Samsung Electronics shares closed at 210,000 won, down 22,000 won (9.48%) from the previous trading day. That was 164,500 won (43.9%) below the peak of 374,500 won recorded last June.
Criticism also continued that the remarks failed to take shareholders’ losses into account. Some investors said, “Shareholders are suffering losses—how can they have so little empathy?”
Some Blind users identified as Samsung Electronics employees even left comments such as, “Who told you to get stuck holding the stock?” and “It’s a damn good deal for us if it falls before we get our shares. Please, let it fall to 70,000 won.” As remarks wishing for the share price to fall further continued, shareholders’ discontent grew.
Some investors also expressed discontent with the bonus payment method itself. A user who identified as a Samsung Electronics shareholder on Blind criticized the arrangement, saying, “You make money selling semiconductors with my investment, then give 10% of the profits to employees as bonuses—is that supposed to make sense?”
[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter