"I Thought My Life Would Change After Getting Hired at SK Hynix, But After Starting Work, My Salary Was..." The Reason Behind the Disappointment

"I Thought I Got into Hynix, But It Was a Partner Company"

SK hynix Headquarters in Icheon. Photo by Yonhap News

SK hynix's unprecedented performance bonuses are creating significant ripples across the entire job market, even sparking some unexpected incidents. One job seeker's story is gaining attention after they discovered, only after being hired as a security guard for SK hynix, that they were actually an employee of an in-house partner company, not the headquarters itself. This episode is seen as a clear indication of just how intense the so-called "Hynix craze" currently sweeping the job market really is.

"I Thought My Life Would Change"... A Twist After the Joy

On July 2, various social networking sites saw a rapid spread of posts stating, "I bragged to everyone I know that I got a job at SK hynix, but after learning the reality, I feel so devastated I want to die."

The author, referred to as Mr. A, wrote, "I saw a job posting for an SK hynix security guard on JobKorea, applied, and was accepted. I contacted everyone I know, including family, relatives, and friends, boasting that I got into Hynix, and even held a celebration party." His parents were moved to tears by the news, and his acquaintances expressed envy. Mr. A recalled, "I really thought my life was finally turning around."

Confirmation of Partner Company Affiliation... "The News Has Already Spread, What Should I Do?"

However, Mr. A said he faced a reality different from what he expected after his first day at work. "When I asked a senior, I learned that I was not technically an SK hynix employee," he explained. "The annual salary listed as 31 million won made me think, like production staff, that I would earn a high income by adding overtime and performance bonuses, but that wasn't the case."

He continued, "I thought I was part of an internal team at Hynix, but it turned out I was actually an employee of a partner company working at the R&D Center. The news has already spread among everyone I know, and now I don't know what to do."

The company Mr. A mentioned is a partner firm that provides services such as manufacturing support, facility management, equipment maintenance, and security/operation support for multiple corporate sites, including SK hynix.

However, it is not confirmed whether Mr. A's story occurred recently. Some suggest that this post originally surfaced last year, but has been brought back into the spotlight due to recent surges in SK hynix's stock price and performance bonuses.

'Haui-Chihan-Yaksu' and 'Hynix Civil Service Exam' Even Emerge

The backdrop to this episode is the heightened expectations surrounding SK hynix. The semiconductor industry’s recovery outlook and changes in the performance bonus system have combined to trigger explosive interest among job seekers.

Cheongju SK Hynix. Yonhap News Agency

According to company information usage data for the first half of 2026 released by Jinhaksa Catch on June 30, SK hynix's company information was viewed 253,000 times. This figure is up 79% compared to the same period last year. The number of job posting views was also about 880,000, the highest among all companies.

In particular, the term "Hynix Civil Service Exam" ("Hainikgosi") has even emerged in job postings for production positions, symbolizing the fierce competition. There are even cases online of people sharing ways to lower educational backgrounds to meet application requirements, indicating an overheated situation. Also, a new phrase "Haui-Chihan-Yaksu"—which adds Hynix to the existing top-tier career path list of medical school, dental school, traditional medicine, pharmacy, and veterinary school ("Uichihan-Yaksu")—has been coined in reference to SK hynix.

Expectation of 700 Million Won in Bonuses

The decisive factor behind job seekers' interest in SK hynix is the shift in its performance bonus system. According to financial information provider FnGuide, the average operating profit forecast for SK hynix this year, as suggested by securities firms over the past month, is 269 trillion won. A simple calculation based on approximately 35,000 employees suggests that the average performance bonus per person could reach nearly 700 million won before taxes.

The average compensation for employees has also jumped significantly. Last year, the average annual salary per SK hynix employee was 185 million won, up 58.1% from the previous year’s 117 million won.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.