The bonus package applies only to Samsung’s semiconductor division and not to all employees across the company.
Samsung estimates that around 78,000 workers are employed in the chip-making business.
Based on current projections, the company may spend nearly $26.5 billion on bonuses if the full payout estimate is achieved.
Earlier this year, Samsung disclosed in a company filing that its employees earned an average annual salary of around 158 million won in 2025, which is close to Rs 1 crore.
Strike Threat Pulled Back After Agreement
The approval of the bonus plan came just days before workers were expected to begin an 18-day strike.
The planned strike had raised concerns across the global semiconductor industry because Samsung remains one of the biggest suppliers of memory chips worldwide.
You don’t need communism to reward workers.
Samsung in capitalist South Korea will give bonuses equal to 50% of annual salary.
This deal is for all semiconductor memory chip workers.
Samsung will also set aside 10.5% of its chip division’s operating profit for special… pic.twitter.com/z7yjkXObg3
— S.L. Kanthan (@Kanthan2030) May 27, 2026
According to industry estimates, memory chips account for nearly 35 per cent of South Korea’s exports, while Samsung itself contributes around 12.5 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product.
Analysts warned that a long strike could have disrupted production and affected global supply chains, especially at a time when AI companies are rapidly increasing chip purchases.