What it is
The record date is the cut-off a Korean company sets to decide who receives a dividend and who is invited to the shareholder meeting. If your name is on the register that day, the right is yours; buyers after that date are excluded from that round. Some companies set separate record dates for dividends and for the meeting.
How early you must buy
Korean trades settle two business days after execution (T+2), so shares must be bought at least two business days before the record date to be registered. Market holidays push that earlier. From one business day before the record date the shares trade without the dividend right — that day is the Korean ex-dividend date.
The order is changing
Korean companies traditionally fixed the record date first and announced the dividend amount later, so investors bought without knowing the payout. A growing number now decide the amount first and set the record date afterwards. Practice varies by company, so check both the decision date and the record date in the filing.
Where to check it
The record date appears in the register-closing filing and in the dividend decision filing. This site groups dividend filings by company, and last year’s dividend and yield are listed in the dividend ranking.
This explanation is general information, not investment advice. Rules reflect September 2026 and may change; check official exchange and broker notices.