In the matchmaking industry, the status of current SK hynix employees has shot up to the top tier almost overnight. On the 6th, industry officials said that as the "bonus bonanza" driven by the artificial intelligence (AI) chip boom continues, they have risen to the level of the marriage market's "most sought-after," on par with traditional powerhouses such as doctors and lawyers.
Kang Eun-seon, senior team leader at matchmaking company Gayeon, said, "Recently among members, SK hynix employees are being regarded on par with professionals," and added, "Since entering the semiconductor supercycle, the popularity of major companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix has increased, and there is a clear tendency to prefer engineers whose actual income is overwhelming compared to some lawyers whose earnings aren't what they used to be." The analysis is that preference for major companies, once focused on Samsung, Hyundai Motor, and LG, has recently tilted toward SK hynix, which boasts an "overwhelming cash flow."
This popularity is also evident on social media (SNS) such as the anonymous workplace community Blind. Among SK hynix employees, posts saying "I'm getting flooded with blind date offers lately" are piling up. In particular, the mood shift among single men and women within the company has become pronounced. If an in-house couple marries, expectations reflect that by combining the performance bonus (PS), which is expected to reach up to 600 million won per person early next year, the couple's combined "bonus could total 1 billion–1.2 billion won."
An SK hynix employee who requested anonymity said, "Interest in each other has risen sharply among single employees lately," and noted, "Because the economic synergy you can gain by marrying a colleague is so great, there's a growing atmosphere of seriously considering office romance as a 'strategic choice.'"
However, the exceptional compensation system is creating another burden for married employees. Because bonuses are paid in proportion to days worked, parental leave is perceived as "forfeiting income," leading to an aversion to taking leave.
In fact, a case posted on Blind by an in-house couple drew attention, saying, "My wife taking two years of parental leave would mean giving up about 300 million won in income, including bonuses, and we're deeply concerned." On the ground, the reaction is, "With a 500 million won bonus ahead, even taking just six months off cuts it by 250 million won, so it's hard to take leave." As a result, a pattern is spreading in which employees use only the first three months after childbirth—when 100% of salary is guaranteed—and then return to work.
As a result, the male parental leave utilization rate has fallen. The rate, which was 2.8% in 2023, dropped to 2% in 2025, while users of "spousal childbirth leave," which is less affected by bonuses, increased by more than 30% from the previous year.
An industry official said, "The exceptional compensation is easing the 'rush to medical schools' and acting as a powerful incentive to attract top talent," and added, "As the logic of capital takes precedence over family-friendly values, we are seeing structural changes that are reshaping employees' life-cycle choices."