The AI Chip Boom's Dark Side: South Korea's Wealth Divide The recent news of 3,000% bonuses for workers in the AI chip industry has highlighted a growing concern in South Korea: the widening wealth divide between those who reap the benefits of the country's tech boom and those who struggle to make ends meet.
The bonuses are a stark reminder that while profits soar for companies like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, ordinary people are being left behind.
Analyst Kim Yong jin notes that the semiconductor industry benefited from decades of government investment and industrial policy.