On one side, a handful of people are raking in cash like crazy. On the other, more people are stressing about paying the bills. This is the parallel world of the AI era.

Two Stories on the Same Day: Fire and Prosperity

On June 1, 2026, two things happened in South Korea.

At 10:32 AM, a gas room suddenly caught fire at SK Hynix’s Cheongju Campus 4. Hydrogen fluoride leaked, and 3,600 people were evacuated in a panic.

Almost at the same moment, the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) broke through the 8,600-point mark for the first time ever, with total market capitalization exceeding 7,000 trillion won (~$3.2 trillion). Hynix’s stock surged—this company had just hit a $1 trillion market cap a week earlier, becoming Asia’s third tech company to cross that line (the first two being Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and Samsung Electronics).

One side: a terrifying moment in a factory. The other: a wealth feast in the capital markets. These two images stitched together—that’s the real picture of the AI era.

The “Sweet Trouble” of Hynix Employees: Behind the $850,000 Average Bonus

Just two weeks before the accident, South Korean media blew up: SK Hynix employees might get an average bonus of $850,000.

That number came from a prediction by investment bank Macquarie Securities: if Hynix’s 2027 operating profit reaches 447 trillion won, with a 10% dividend, 35,000 employees would each get 1.29 billion won—about $850,000.

This isn’t some fairy tale. Hynix holds 57% of the global HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) market, and NVIDIA’s entire line of AI accelerators uses its chips. In Q1 2026, its operating margin hit 72%—for every $100 it sold, $72 was profit. This isn’t making money. This is printing money.

There’s a new buzzword in Korean workplaces now: “海医齿韩” (Hae-ui-chi-han)—Hynix, medical school, dental school, Korean medical school. A job at Hynix now ranks above traditional elite professions like medicine.

Chosun Ilbo reported a detail: the night Hynix paid bonuses on February 5 this year, restaurants around the Icheon Campus in Gyeonggi Province were completely packed. BBQ restaurant owners said they prepared in advance but still couldn’t keep up. Two apartment buildings within 50 meters of the campus—one was sold out, the other had an 85% contract rate. Along the commuter bus routes, housing prices in multiple areas were skyrocketing, forming “bus stop districts.”

Even the dating market changed. Koreans used to prefer people who worked at Samsung, Hyundai, or LG. Now Hynix employees are hot commodities, as sought-after as doctors and lawyers. One variety show joked: when Hynix employees go on blind dates, they first pretend they work at Samsung, and only admit their real employer when they meet someone good.

But what about the other side?

Because bonuses are tied to attendance days, employees actively avoid maternity leave. One married couple said: “If there’s 500 million won in bonus waiting, taking six months off means losing 250 million—you just can’t do it.”

And right next to this wealth feast? Safety accidents that could happen at any time in the factory.

Unemployment and Wealth Are Stories of Two Different Groups

When many people talk about AI, they either fall into “tech optimism”—AI will create more jobs, everyone will benefit—or “tech pessimism”—AI will replace humans, most people will lose their jobs.

I say: both views are wrong.

The truth of the AI era is this: Unemployment and wealth aren’t contradictory. They belong to two completely different groups.

On one side: people who master core AI technologies and control key supply chains—they’re accumulating wealth like crazy. Hynix is the perfect example: with its monopoly in HBM, it has a 72% profit margin, and employees are drowning in bonuses.

On the other side: people whose jobs are easily replaced by AI, or who’re struggling in traditional industries—they face stagnant incomes, or even the risk of unemployment.

These two groups seem to live in the same country, the same era—but really, they’re in two parallel worlds.

While Hynix employees are buying houses and cars with millions in bonuses, young people in other Korean industries might be stressing about finding a stable job. While Hynix’s market cap breaks through a trillion dollars, South Korea’s wealth gap is widening to an unprecedented degree.

This is the brutal truth of the AI era: the wealth growth from technological progress isn’t evenly distributed. It’s like a spotlight—only illuminating a few, leaving more in the dark.

South Korea’s Government and Society React: Finding Balance in Anxiety

Faced with this situation, how did South Korea’s government and society react?

1. National Level: Betting Everything on the AI Industry Chain to Become an AI Upper-Class Country

Back in 2025, the South Korean government set up a “Cutting-Edge Strategic Industry Fund” of up to 50 trillion won (~$34.67 billion) to boost semiconductors, AI, and other advanced industries. It also rolled out new visa policies to attract top talent.

Why the rush? Because South Korea knows all too well: in the AI era, seizing the core industry chain means seizing wealth. Hynix is South Korea’s “national treasure”—it not only creates tax revenue, but also serves as South Korea’s bargaining chip in global tech competition.

2. The Public’s Wealth Takeoff Dream: From “Degree Worship” to “Production Line Worship”

When news spread that Hynix employees might get an average bonus of $850,000 and Samsung Semiconductor employees about $380,000, South Korean society completely erupted.

There’s a term now in Korean workplaces: “kingsanjik”—referring to frontline technical workers at Hynix and Samsung Semiconductor who’re getting huge bonuses. T-shirts with the Hynix logo are being auctioned online, and these employees are super popular in the dating market.

A joint survey by Seoul National University and Chosun Ilbo showed: 79% of South Koreans worry AI will widen the social gap, and 55% think AI development will deepen socioeconomic inequality.

And reality is confirming this anxiety. Data from the Bank of Korea shows: in the three years since November 2022, employment of young South Koreans in white-collar positions like information services, publishing, and professional services dropped by 23.8%, 20.4%, and 8.8% respectively. In 2025, only 338 out of 1,200 CPA (Certified Public Accountant) passers in South Korea successfully entered the internship registration process.

Young people’s career choices are changing dramatically. In 2026, the number of students choosing to give up four-year universities and go to vocational schools hit a record 2,500—up 23% year-over-year. A survey of South Korean Gen Z job seekers showed: 60% would rather take a production job paying 70 million won a year that requires shift work, than an office job paying 30 million won a year with no overtime.

A phenomenon is emerging in South Korean society: “fate divergence of the same generation.” On one side, semiconductor core positions are entering a super dividend cycle. On the other, junior accountants, legal assistants, and programmer positions in office buildings are being compressed by AI tools. Young people used to believe in “go to a good school, get qualifications, be a white-collar worker.” Now they find: wearing a clean suit into a semiconductor production line might be closer to middle-class life than wearing a suit into the CBD.

3. Should Corporate Wealth Be Distributed to the Country and Individuals? A Big Debate Brewing

On May 11, 2026, South Korean Presidential Policy Office Director Kim Yong-bum published a long post on Facebook, raising an explosive question: Why shouldn’t the excess profits of the AI era be shared with all citizens?

This proposal instantly ignited South Korean society. On May 12, the KOSPI index dropped from 7,999 points straight through 7,400, with an intraday drop of over 7%. The market panicked that an “excess profit tax” was coming.

Kim later clarified: the funding source would be “excess tax revenue” from the AI boom, not a new mechanism directly taxing enterprises. He referenced the sovereign wealth fund Norway established after discovering oil, proposing to turn the AI boom into long-term social assets for youth entrepreneurship funds, rural basic income, arts support, or AI-era transition education programs.

But the debate had already begun.

Supporters argue:

  • The prosperity of the semiconductor industry is not just the result of corporate efforts, but also of national strategic support and concentrated social resources
  • In 2025, South Korea’s corporate tax revenue was 84.6 trillion won, up 22.1 trillion won year-over-year (35.3% growth), mainly from the semiconductor industry
  • Every 1 billion won in output from the semiconductor industry only drives 2.1 jobs—one-third of the manufacturing average, with extremely concentrated wealth effects
  • Need to let everyone share the AI dividend through redistribution

Opponents argue:

  • Defining corporate profits as “excess profits” carries a value judgment, implying these gains were obtained unfairly
  • Samsung and Hynix achieved today’s success after decades of R&D investment and global competition—they shouldn’t be seen as “objects waiting to be reclaimed”
  • Countries around the world are subsidizing semiconductor companies to compete for investment, but South Korea is discussing “reclaiming excess profits”—this sends the wrong signal to the market
  • Should build public AI infrastructure and provide national AI skills training, not just give away money

The essence of this debate: in the AI era, is wealth corporate private property, or a “public interest” in some sense?

4. National Wealth Distribution Mechanisms: Financial Measures and Tax Reform

To let ordinary people share the AI dividend, the South Korean government rolled out a series of financial measures and tax reforms:

Measure 1: Stock Market Related Policies

  • Leveraged ETFs for Individual Stocks Opened: In April 2026, South Korea urgently revised rules to lift restrictions on individual stock leveraged ETFs, raising the single stock holding limit to 100%, specifically for Samsung and Hynix. On May 27, South Korea’s first two Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix 2x leveraged ETFs officially listed, raking in $2.8 billion on the first day.
  • Gift Tax Benefits for Minor Stock Accounts: Parents can transfer 20 million won (~$14,000) to their children’s stock accounts (under 19) without paying gift tax for 10 years. A family can give a child 140 million won tax-free through multiple transfers.
  • National Stock Trading Boom: By May 2026, South Korea had 105 million active stock accounts—but South Korea’s total population is only 51.6 million, averaging two accounts per person. New stock accounts for children under 18 increased by 1,000% year-over-year.

Measure 2: Tax Reform

  • Corporate Income Tax Hike: Starting January 1, 2026, the corporate income tax rate for large enterprises with annual taxable income over 300 billion won increased from 24% back to 25%.
  • Tax Benefits for High-Dividend Enterprises: For enterprises with a dividend rate over 40%, shareholders can choose to tax cash dividends separately, with the maximum rate dropping from 45% (comprehensive taxation) to 30%.
  • Domestic Minimum Supplementary Tax: Ensures large multinational enterprise groups operating in South Korea have an effective tax rate of no less than 15% in South Korea.
  • Semiconductor Investment Tax Benefits: The semiconductor equipment investment credit rate for large enterprises increased from 15% to 20%, and for SMEs from 25% to 30%; the R&D expense tax credit rate can reach up to 50%.

Measure 3: National Growth Fund

  • The South Korean government plans to launch a 150 trillion won “National Growth Fund” investing in cutting-edge industries like AI, semiconductors, biotech, and secondary batteries.
  • Investing in the fund for over 3 years can get up to 40% income tax credit, with an investment limit of 200 million won.
  • Dividend income from the fund is taxed separately at 9% for 5 years.

Pros and Cons of These Measures:

Pros:

  • Let ordinary people have a chance to participate in AI wealth growth through the stock market and funds
  • Tax benefits encourage corporate dividends and reinvestment
  • Push capital to stay in the country and support domestic industry development

Cons:

  • Leveraged ETFs are extremely risky and could lead to huge losses for retail investors—called a “national casino” by public opinion
  • Stock market prosperity widens the wealth gap: in Q1 2026, the average monthly income of the top 20% of South Korean households was 6.59 times that of the bottom 20%, hitting a nearly 6-year high
  • Policy goals may deviate from actual effects: young people still have trouble getting into semiconductor core positions, and the wealth distribution mechanism is still imperfect

A new term emerged in South Korean society: “霹雳穷人” (pili qiongren)—ordinary office workers who were getting by okay, suddenly finding that a colleague or friend made 10 years of their salary in one stock wave, and instantly feeling like paupers by comparison. This sentiment is pushing more people to rush into the stock market like crazy.

AI Is Roaring In—No Bystanders, Everyone’s a Participant

The Hynix story isn’t someone else’s story. It’s a microcosm of this era. Every country, every person will be affected.

About Me

I’ve worked at NetEase Games, Baidu, Tencent (8 years), and Meituan (nearly 7 years), leading large R&D projects and managing teams of over 100 engineers.

Now I build software as an independent developer.

Why? Because the world is full of uncertainty—staying at one company too long can make you addicted to certainty. Building on your own is like sailing into uncharted waters.

I believe good software should give people a sense of security and control. That’s the thread connecting everything I make:

  • PhotoRestore Pro — AI photo restoration that runs 100% offline on Windows. Your photos never leave your device. No cloud, no account, no compromise on privacy. Built for legal professionals, but anyone with old family photos will find it useful.

  • AstroSky — Think of it as “Snapseed for astronomy.” Turn raw FITS data into stunning celestial images. Fully offline, GPU-accelerated, with a Beauty/Science dual mode that serves both casual stargazers and researchers.

  • fastool.io — A collection of browser-based science tools. Right now it’s focused on astronomy: solar path tracking, moon phase analysis, sidereal time calculation, telescope FOV planning—all running in your browser with zero data upload.

Whether I’m gazing at the cosmos or refining a line of code, the goal is the same: build tools that put people in control of their own data.

Get in touch: HummingbirdLabs@outlook.com.