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SK Hynix Union Members Reject Wage Agreement in Narrow Vote

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Union members at SK Hynix have narrowly rejected a tentative wage agreement that included a 6.3% pay increase and major changes to the company’s profit-sharing bonus structure.

According to a source familiar with the vote, 50.08% of 15,045 participating workers opposed the agreement, with the result decided by just 25 votes.

The proposed deal would have paid 40% of employee bonuses in cash and 60% in SK Hynix shares. Some workers had raised concerns about receiving such a large portion of compensation in stock because of recent volatility in the company’s share price.

SK Hynix has benefited strongly from surging demand for high-bandwidth memory chips used in AI systems, generating large profits and unusually high employee bonuses.

Last year, the company and its workforce agreed to allocate 10% of annual operating profit to a profit-sharing scheme. The latest proposal was intended to reduce the cash burden of those payouts while linking employee compensation more closely to the company’s long-term performance.

The rejection means management and workers will likely need to resume negotiations over wages and bonuses as the AI-driven memory boom continues to reshape compensation across South Korea’s semiconductor industry.

Samsung Electronics Reportedly Plans More Than $72 Billion Shareholder Return Programme

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Samsung Electronics is reportedly preparing a new shareholder return programme worth more than 100 trillion won ($71.75 billion) as record profits from the AI-driven memory chip boom strengthen its balance sheet.

According to South Korean media reports, the company is expected to hold a board meeting at the end of August to approve the plan, which could include a special dividend alongside other shareholder return measures.

Samsung is reportedly planning to allocate 50% of its free cash flow to the programme, continuing its efforts to distribute a larger share of profits to investors as semiconductor earnings accelerate.

The move follows a major announcement from rival SK Hynix, which unveiled a 40 trillion won share buyback and cancellation plan and committed more than half of its free cash flow generated between 2025 and 2027 to shareholder returns.

Both companies are benefiting from exceptionally strong demand for advanced memory chips used in artificial intelligence infrastructure, creating pressure from investors for larger dividends, buybacks and other forms of capital distribution.

If confirmed, Samsung’s programme would rank among the largest shareholder return initiatives ever announced by a South Korean listed company.

SK Hynix Workers to Receive 60% of 2026 Bonuses in Stock

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SK Hynix has reached a tentative wage agreement with employees in South Korea that would see 60% of this year’s bonuses paid in company shares, replacing the all-cash structure used last year.

The AI-driven memory boom has sharply increased SK Hynix’s profits and employee bonuses. Workers are expected to receive an average payout of about 779 million won ($547,000) for 2026.

Under the proposed agreement, employees would receive 40% of their bonuses in cash and 40% in immediately sellable stock. The remaining 20% would be paid as deferred shares, with half vesting after one year and the rest after two years.

The deal also includes a 6.3% increase in base wages and allows SK Hynix to defer up to 3% of wages if the company records losses.

Management had pushed for a larger stock component to reduce the strain of massive cash payouts, though some workers expressed concern about share-price volatility. The agreement still requires approval from union members.

The proposal comes as SK Hynix also expands shareholder returns, including a planned 40 trillion won ($28.6 billion) share buyback and cancellation program.