{
  "id": 341541,
  "title": "Profit-linked bonuses at Samsung, SK unlikely to spread across Korean biz",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/profit-linked-bonuses-at-samsung-sk-unlikely-to-spread-across-korean-341541",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-09T04:02:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/business/companies/20260809/profit-linked-bonuses-at-samsung-sk-unlikely-to-spread-across-korean-biz"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The substantial profit-based performance bonuses prevalent at Samsung Electronics and SK hynix appear unlikely to become commonplace across Korean businesses. The government is contemplating amending regulations to mandate shareholder approval for such bonus plans. Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan, addressing a press forum on Thursday, expressed his opposition to tying employee incentives directly to a company's operating profit. He emphasized that the government is contemplating revisions to the Commercial Act and the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act, which would necessitate shareholder endorsement before companies could pay performance bonuses. This stance emerged as labor unions at major corporations increasingly advocate for allocating a portion of operating profit to fund performance bonuses. In the previous year, SK hynix had reached a deal with its labor union, allocating 10 percent of its operating profit towards performance bonuses to share in the significant profits generated by its memory chip business. Similarly, in May, Samsung Electronics had agreed to allocate 10.5 percent of its operating profit for performance bonuses.",
  "summary": "The Korea Times reports that Korea's government is considering amending regulations to require shareholder approval for profit-linked bonuses at companies like Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan has expressed opposition to linking employee incentives directly to a company's operating profit, stating that the government is discussing revisions to the Commercial Act and the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act. This proposed change comes as labor unions at large companies demand that a portion of operating profit be used to fund performance bonuses, with SK hynix and Samsung Electronics already agreeing to allocate a portion of their profits for such bonuses.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Profit-linked bonuses at Samsung, SK unlikely to spread across Korean biz",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/profit-linked-bonuses-at-samsung-sk-unlikely-to-spread-across-korean",
        "published": "2026-08-09T03:47:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}