Multiplexing circuits in pixelated PET detectors are being studied with the goal of minimizing the degradation of detector performance. The purpose of this study was to develop a diode-based symmetric charge division (SCD) circuit with reducing the crosstalk caused by the leakage currents of adjacent channels connected in rows and columns. Four different SCD circuits (diode-based SCD with grounding path, diode-based SCD, resistor-based SCD with grounding path, and resistor-based SCD) were constructed and their performance was evaluated and compared after being combined with a PET detector consisting of Lutetium Yttrium Orthosilicate crystals optically coupled with SiPM. The diode-based SCD circuit with grounding path achieved a crosstalk ratio, energy resolution, coincidence timing resolution (CTR), and mean peak to valley ratio of 0.02, 14.3%, 0.5 ns, and 27.9: 1, respectively; the diode-based SCD circuit achieved 0.03, 15.9%, 0.7 ns, and 19.4: 1, respectively; the resistor-based SCD circuit with grounding path achieved 0.04, 14.5%, 0.9 ns, and 19.4: 1, respectively; and the resistor-based SCD circuit achieved 0.05, 17.8%, 1.8 ns, and 17.7: 1, respectively. These results indicate that the proposed SCD has the potential to improve not only the crosstalk but also the energy linearity, energy resolution, and CTR characteristics in PET detectors.