South Korea · Samsung · MIT Technology Review
Samsung introduced in March that it is set to fully automate its fabs by 2030, drawing backlash from chip workers
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Although he doesn’t know how long the boom will last, chip workers like Baek are riding high.
Key facts
- Flush with eye-popping profits from the AI chip boom, SK Hynix struck a landmark deal last year with its labor union to pay out 10% of operating profits to employees, which translates to an extra
- Since their hefty bonuses were announced, the job ratings of Samsung employees have risen from 80 to 84, while those of SK Hynix employees climbed from 78 to 82
- And chip exports helped fuel a 1.7% surge in South Korea’s gross domestic product in the first quarter of 2026
- Baek, a 35-year-old manager at the South Korean semiconductor titan SK Hynix, was enrolled in Sunoo, a matchmaking company based in Seoul, a year ago
Summary
Baek, a 35-year-old manager at the South Korean semiconductor titan SK Hynix, was enrolled in Sunoo, a matchmaking company based in Seoul, a year ago. Lately, says Baek (who asked to be referred to by his last name to protect his privacy), he and his coworkers are having better luck finding dates than they used to, perhaps because of the dazzling bonuses they got. With their newfound wealth, chip workers like Baek have become the most sought-after bachelors and bachelorettes in South Korea. Lately, young South Koreans joke online that the best outfit to wear on a blind date is an SK Hynix uniform. The AI chip boom is changing the social fabric of South Korea by minting a new elite of “silicon-collar” workers earning about 20 times as much as the average South Korean.