How Close Are You to the Chip?

You think hard work leads to success? In the AI era, your income might not depend on your ability—it depends on how close you are to the chip production line.

King Workers vs. Thunderstruck Poor

In 2026 South Korea, on one side are the “kingsanjik” (king workers)—frontline semiconductor technical workers getting average bonuses of 600 million to 700 million won (~$270,000 to $320,000). Blue-collar workers in clean suits are more popular in the dating market than suited white-collar workers, and T-shirts with the SK Hynix logo are hot items at online auctions.

On the other side are the “thunderstruck poor”—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.

These two terms, overnight, defined the two poles of South Korean society.

Kingsanjik: From Blue-Collar to King

The term “kingsanjik” combines “king” and the Korean word “sanjik” (production worker), literally meaning “king worker”—referring specifically to frontline technical workers at companies like SK Hynix and Samsung Semiconductor who’re getting huge bonuses.

This isn’t a myth. This is happening right now:

  • SK Hynix employees: Average bonus of about 140 million to 148 million won in 2025, expected to hit 700 million won (~$320,000) in 2026
  • Samsung Semiconductor employees: Average bonus expected to be about 600 million won (~$270,000)
  • National frenzy: Restaurants around the Icheon Campus in Gyeonggi Province were completely packed—BBQ restaurant owners 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”

South Korea’s Maeil Business Newspaper interviewed a Mr. Li who’s lived and worked in South Korea for over 20 years. He said: “T-shirts with the SK Hynix logo are now being auctioned online, and (chip company employees) are also super popular in the dating market. They’re in the spotlight like never before.”

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.

Thunderstruck Poor—What Should You Do?

In stark contrast to the “king workers” are the “thunderstruck poor.”

This term describes 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.

How painful is this feeling? The Bank of Korea gave the answer in a November 2025 report:

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.

South Korean media statistics show that in 2025, only 338 out of 1,200 CPA (Certified Public Accountant) passers successfully entered the internship registration process.

In the past, young South Koreans believed in the path of “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.

According to data from the Korea Junior College Education Association, in 2026, the number of students choosing to give up four-year universities and go to vocational schools hit a record 2,500 people—up 23% year-over-year.

Wu Qicong, assistant researcher at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, said: “South Korean students are finding that degrees are depreciating, while industry positions are appreciating. The closer you are to AI capital expenditure, the easier it is to share the dividend.”

Fate Divergence of the Same Generation: This Isn’t a Personal Problem—It’s a Turning Point of the Era

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.

This isn’t a problem of personal ability. This is a turning point of the era.

In the internet era, e-commerce made a bunch of small shops popular, new media let ordinary people get a piece of the pie, and ordinary people could ride the dividend wave with just a phone. But the AI era is different—the main people making money are two groups:

  • One group sells “shovels” by making hardware: Like memory chip companies, raking in cash from soaring demand for computing power
  • The other group makes models: Mastering the most core intelligent capabilities

What about other industries? A lot of positions are being replaced or内卷ed. Ordinary people contribute data and computing power—but at least for now, they’re hardly getting any real benefits.

No Bystanders—Everyone’s a Participant

South Korea’s story is a microcosm of this era. I think: it’s even a landmark event for South Korea moving toward an AI kingdom, an inevitable trend toward a new era.

One day, when we look back at this era, I hope we can say: we not only witnessed technological progress, but also worked hard to let this progress benefit more people.

That’s the most meaningful thing in the AI era.

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.