Semiconductor Boom Widens Wage Gap

As South Korea's semiconductor industry experiences a major boom, wage polarization among workers, based on company size and employment type, is increasingly intensifying.

In the 'Manufacture of Electronic Components, Computers, and Communication Equipment' sector, the average monthly total wage for regular employees at large workplaces with 300 or more employees was 9.42 million won, while temporary and daily workers at workplaces with fewer than 300 employees earned 1.76 million won. For the entire industry, the average monthly total wage for regular employees was 4.57 million won, and for non-regular employees, it was 1.92 million won. The hourly wage gap has widened from 5,799 won in 2007 to 9,964 won last year.

The average annual total wages for employees at Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix were approximately 158 million won and 185 million won, respectively, last year. Recently, Samsung Electronics' labor and management agreed to fix performance-based bonuses at around 10% of business results.

It has been pointed out that the deepening wage polarization amidst the semiconductor boom could spread beyond simple economic deprivation to widespread societal backlash, making it urgent to accelerate social discussions on distribution issues.