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. ...
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. ...