KT Corporation

KT Corporation is a telecommunications company in South Korea. It is the largest broadband provider in Korea, with about 10.2 million subscribers, and it had 28.9% of mobile phone subscribers on its own network at December 31, 2025. It also sells fixed-line telephone, IPTV, cloud, AI data center and enterprise IT services, and its subsidiaries include businesses in card payments, media and real estate.

Consolidated revenue was KRW 6,679.9 billion in Q2 2026. The government limits foreign ownership of KT to 49% of its voting shares. One ADS represents one-half of one common share.

The market prices KT as a slow-growth Korean telecom company with low returns on equity. A security incident with illegal femtocells, which the government confirmed in December 2025, led KT to waive early termination fees, and more than 233,000 subscribers left. A customer appreciation program from February to July 2026 then lowered wireless revenue. KT also plans large spending: KRW 4 trillion on cybersecurity and IT and KRW 8 trillion on network over three years, and KRW 6 trillion on AI data centers and submarine cables over five years.

For the gap to close, three things must be true. Wireless service revenue must grow again after the end of the appreciation program. The consolidated operating margin must rise toward the value-up target of 9% or more by 2028, with a consolidated ROE of 9% to 10%. KT must deliver the planned returns: 50% of adjusted standalone net income each year from 2026 to 2028, plus KRW 750 billion of buybacks and cancellations, and sales of non-core assets.

The Q3 2026 report, expected in November 2026, gives the next test, and the full-year 2026 results in February 2027 give a second test. If these checks pass, the gap can close slowly through 2028. The main reasons it may not close are new security costs or fines and investments that earn low returns.

1. Nov 12, 2026 · est.Pending

   Q3 2026 results: wireless recoveryWireless service revenue that stops falling after the end of the appreciation program and a higher operating margin than in Q3 2025 pass; another fall in wireless revenue or new security costs fail.
2. 2028 · est.Pending

   2028 value-up targetsA consolidated ROE of 9% to 10% and an operating profit margin of 9% or more in 2028 pass; lower figures fail.

Every passed and failed checkpoint across all picks

• October 23, 2026KT reported that the Government of Rwanda and three related parties filed a counterclaim of about KRW 512.4 billion against KT in an arbitration at the Permanent Court of Arbitration. KT started the arbitration to collect a put option price of about $152 million under a shareholders' agreement. KT said that it will dispute the counterclaim.
• October 13, 2026KT declared a Q3 2026 dividend of KRW 600 per share, with a record date of October 28, 2026 and payment on November 12, 2026.
• September 9, 2026KT completed its KRW 250 billion treasury share trust. It bought 4,480,551 shares from April to August 2026.

Next earnings

Expected about November 12, 2026. The company has not confirmed the date.

• 20-FAnnual report for the period ended Dec 31, 2025Filed April 29, 2026 · kt-20251231
• 20-FAnnual report for the period ended Dec 31, 2024Filed April 29, 2025 · Read it on sec.gov

Every filing on SEC EDGAR (CIK 892450)

• The Personal Information Protection Commission is still investigating the femtocell incident, and the Ministry of Science and ICT said that it may impose fines. KT cannot yet estimate these costs. Another incident can cause more subscriber losses.
• KT plans large investments in security, network, AI data centers and submarine cables. If AI data center demand is weaker than planned, these projects can earn low returns and limit shareholder returns.
• The Korean mobile market is mature and regulated. Wireless ARPU fell 2.3% to KRW 34,412 in Q2 2026, and mobile churn rose to 1.7% in Q1 2026 during the fee waiver.
• The Government of Rwanda and related parties claim about KRW 512.4 billion from KT in an arbitration, about 2.63% of KT's equity.
• KT earns in Korean won, and the ADS trades in US dollars. A weaker won lowers the dollar value of earnings and dividends.

KT funds itself with bonds and bank loans, mostly in Korean won. At June 30, 2026, consolidated borrowings were KRW 11,270.8 billion: short-term borrowings of KRW 4,179.5 billion and long-term borrowings of KRW 7,091.3 billion. Read more

Paid per share

$0.00 in the last 12 months (0 payments)

Latest ex-dividend date

July 30, 2025, $0.216 per share

Dividends per share by year

Source: company filings and market data, read on October 29, 2026. The ex-dividend date is the first day a buyer no longer gets the next payment.