"After Calculating Our Bonuses, It's at Least 3 Billion Won; Feels Like We've Escaped the Working Class"... Samsung Electronics DS Couple's Post

"The bonuses the two of us will receive add up to 3 billion won"
"If things go as expected, we could quit the company within five years"

With a special performance bonus for Samsung Electronics’ Device Solutions (DS) division set to be paid early next year, a post by a couple who both work at Samsung has become a hot topic online. The couple are reportedly set to receive at least 3 billion won in bonuses combined.

On Oct. 8, a post by a user identified as A, who verified that they work at Samsung Electronics, appeared on Blind, an anonymous online community for office workers. “Looking at the bonuses, I seriously feel like I’ve escaped the ranks of ordinary people,” A wrote. “I’m a man in my early 30s whose greatest achievement in life was getting into this company. I met my wife here, and we became a DS couple.”

Samsung Electronics posted operating profit of 107.4 trillion won in the third quarter of this year, becoming the first South Korean company ever to record quarterly operating profit of more than 100 trillion won. Yonhap News

A added, “We worked for five years and managed to buy a home for 800 million won. It’s now worth as much as 1.2 billion won. We’re preparing to move into a home worth close to 2 billion won by taking out an employee loan.”

“I calculated the bonuses we’ll receive, and it comes to at least 3 billion won,” A said. “If things go as expected, it looks like we could quit the company within five years.”

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics’ DS division announced details of its special semiconductor business performance bonus to employees on the afternoon of Oct. 7. The bonus is scheduled to be paid at the end of March 2027, immediately after approval at the regular shareholders’ meeting. It will be paid after a flat withholding tax rate of 45%—or 49.5% including local income tax—is applied.

Samsung Electronics posted operating profit of more than 100 trillion won in the third quarter of 2026, and bonuses for its semiconductor employees are therefore expected to increase. Based on an annual salary in the low 80 million won range this year, the bonus to be received by DS division employees next year is estimated at around 750 million won before taxes.

However, the special performance bonus will be paid in company stock rather than cash. Employees may immediately sell one-third of the shares they receive, while sales of the other two one-third portions will be restricted for one year and two years, respectively.

A’s post drew thousands of views and became a hot topic in the community. Users responded with comments such as “Congratulations” and “I’m jealous.” Some Samsung Electronics employees, however, expressed concern, saying, “Don’t brag about it in a post like this. Keep quiet,” and “Delete the post, as it could turn public opinion against us.”

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