한국예탁결제원이 주주들이 찾아가지 않은 주식과 배당금 등 1425억원 상당의 미수령 재산을 권리자에게 돌려줬다. 지난해 같은 캠페인에서 반환한 금액의 약 3.3배에 달하는 규모다. 다만 올해 8월 말 기준 미수령 주식이 1조5000억원에 육박했던 만큼 주주들의 재산권 보호를 위한 지속적인 노력이 필요하다는 지적도 나온다.
According to the Korea Securities Depository, it returned a total of approximately $1.425 billion in unclaimed assets to shareholders during a concentrated campaign held from October 12 to November 6, 2026. This amount is about 3.3 times higher than what was returned during a similar campaign last year.
The returned assets included 27,488,000 shares valued at approximately $1.4235 billion and about $1.5 million in unclaimed dividends. Of this, around $493 million went to individual shareholders, while approximately $932 million was returned to corporations.
This figure represents a significant increase compared to last year's campaign, which returned about $433 million to 2,135 shareholders over five weeks, including $431 million in stocks and $2 million in cash.
Unclaimed stocks are those that shareholders have not collected, often due to changes in address or difficulties in the collection process, and are held by the name transfer agency.
This year, the Korea Securities Depository collaborated with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to send notifications to shareholders at their actual residences. The agency also partnered with three companies—Meritz Financial Group, Amorepacific Holdings, and Amorepacific—to encourage the return of unclaimed assets.
Last year, the agency expanded its outreach to shareholders who were difficult to contact due to errors in identification numbers or death, while this year it focused on collaborating with companies that are proactive in returning assets to support shareholders' rights.
However, a significant amount of unclaimed stocks still remains. According to data submitted by Han Min-soo, a member of the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee, as of the end of August this year, unclaimed stocks totaled 800.84 million shares, valued at approximately $1.4707 trillion. The number of unclaimed shareholders, including both individuals and corporations, reached 26,280.
The Korea Securities Depository plans to continue improving its online stock and payment inquiry services, as well as services for heirs to facilitate the return of unclaimed assets.
Unclaimed assets can be collected at any time after the campaign ends. Shareholders can check their holdings through the 'Find Stocks' menu on the Korea Securities Depository's securities agency website, and individual shareholders can apply for collection via mobile for stocks valued at $500,000 or less and cash amounts of $100,000 or less.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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