SK hynix will pay staff $50,000 apiece according to a tentative agreement with disgruntled workers — $1.79 billion potential profit pool will be split between cash and stock grants

SK hynix has agreed to pay its employees an average of $50,000 each, as part of a tentative settlement with the workers over profit-sharing and wage disputes, according to a report by Maeil Business. The potential profit pool, split between cash and stock grants, totals $1.79 billion. The new agreement, reported by Yonhap, alters how profit-sharing bonuses will be distributed, with 40% of performance-based bonuses paid in cash and the remaining 60% in SK hynix shares.

This change is in contrast to SK hynix's 2025 profit-sharing scheme, where 80% of the bonus was paid in cash and the remaining 20% over two years. The union had argued that stock-based bonuses could expose employees to potential losses and tax complications. However, the management and union have reached a 2026 wage and collective bargaining agreement, which maintains the mechanism for 10 years and pays bonuses in both cash and stock. This settlement avoids the threat of a strike, as previously planned by the union.