South Korean banks’ dividend payouts to foreign shareholders have reached nearly 3 trillion won ($2.7 billion) in the past four years, accounting for 10 percent of their net income, industry data showed Thursday.

A total of 4.5 trillion won was paid out as dividend to their stakeholders by six major financial groups, led by No. 1 Shinhan Financial Group Co. and KB Financial Group Co., from 2010 to 2013, according to the data.

The figure is 15.7 percent of their combined net profit of 28.5 trillion won over the four-year period.

Out of the four-year dividend payouts, 63.4 percent, or 2.8 trillion won, was paid out to foreign shareholders, who hold up to a 70 percent stake in the local banking groups.

Foreign stock ownership in Hana Financial Group Inc. stands at 70.1 percent, with the comparable figures for Shinhan and KB being 64.5 percent and 63.5 percent, respectively.

Standard Chartered Korea, fully owned by offshore investors, is expected to pay out 1.2 trillion won as dividends this year, while it posted a loss of 4.9 billion won for the first nine months of the year. (Yonhap)