On September 1, SK Hynix and its labor union reached a tentative wage agreement that could deliver record-high bonuses to employees starting in 2025. The deal eliminates the existing cap that limited profit-sharing (PS) payouts to 1,000% of base salary and instead allocates 10% of annual operating profit to performance bonuses.

Under the agreement, SK Hynix employees are expected to receive around KRW 100 million (approximately $72,000) each in 2026, assuming current profit forecasts hold. Analysts project the chipmaker's 2025 operating profit at KRW 37–39 trillion, meaning roughly KRW 3.7 trillion could be distributed among its 33,600 workers. For many, this would represent a 47–80% increase from this year's average bonus of KRW 75 million.

The package also includes a 6% wage hike and an "8:1:1" payment structure, with 80% of bonuses paid in the current year and the remaining 20% deferred in equal installments over the next two years. Management and labor had clashed for months over how to distribute excess profits, with the union rejecting proposals to raise the cap to 1,700% of base pay. The final compromise reflects growing pressure on SK Hynix to retain talent in a highly competitive chip market.

Despite the celebratory mood among employees, uncertainties remain. The company's dominant position in supplying NVIDIA with advanced HBM3E memory faces challenges as Micron and Samsung ramp up production. Meanwhile, the U.S. has revoked the Verified End User (VEU) status of SK Hynix's fabs in China, requiring new approvals for American equipment purchases and potentially impacting profitability.

The landmark deal has already reverberated across Korea's semiconductor sector. On September 2, Samsung Electronics' union formally demanded reform of its own bonus system, directly citing SK Hynix's new arrangement as the trigger. Representing workers from five Samsung affiliates, the union criticized the company's reliance on its EVA (Economic Value Added) formula, which deducts taxes and investment spending before payouts are calculated.

Union leaders argued the system is opaque and unfair, with many employees left in the dark about how their bonuses are determined. "Even if operating profit is strong, the EVA model can result in zero payouts and enforces a ceiling," the union said in an open letter to Chairman Jay Y. Lee and senior executives. "Employee morale and trust in management have fallen to rock bottom, and it is time to show a commitment to reform."

The SK Hynix agreement still requires a union vote to be finalized this week. But regardless of the outcome, it has already raised the stakes in Korea's chip industry, setting a new benchmark for labor negotiations and placing added pressure on Samsung to follow suit.