At about 7 p.m. on the 5th, the restaurant district near the main gate of SK hynix in Bubal-eup, Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. Shops bustled with groups of SK hynix employees wearing their employee badges around their necks. Reservation boards at pubs and restaurants were filled with the letters "SK." Among employees looking more excited than usual, people said they were "debating what car to buy with the performance bonus." At the register, an employee readily handed over a credit card, saying, "The bar tab came to only 280,000 won."

Kim Seok-ju, 29, who runs a lamb restaurant, said, "We prepared early because SK hynix was paying bonuses today, but there were so many group customers it was hard to keep up," and added, "It's a shame we had to turn most walk-ins away because we can't add more staff."

Around 8 p.m. on the 5th, a chicken restaurant near the SK hynix headquarters in Bubal-eup, Icheon, Gyeonggi, is packed with customers. /Courtesy of Kim Gwan-rae

◇ A 150 million won bonus… Developers and import car dealers say "get SK hynix"

According to the industry, SK hynix set this year's profit sharing (PS) payout rate at 2,964%. PS is a bonus system that pays employees from a pool equal to 10% of annual operating profit, based on yearly results. Employees receive 80% of the bonus immediately, and the remaining 20% is paid in two installments of 10% each over two years.

SK hynix's operating profit last year was 47.2063 trillion won. Even after excluding some expenses, the pool available for PS is about 4.5 trillion won. About 3.6 trillion won was paid out to employees on this day. Given the headcount, even an employee with an annual salary of 100 million won receives 148.2 million won as a bonus.

With record bonuses flowing, the area around SK hynix's Icheon campus turned into a party. Around 4 p.m. that day, multiple apartment sales flyers reading "VIP benefits for SK hynix employees on a first-come, first-served basis" were placed near the main gate. As employees heading home picked them up one by one, only a few sheets remained in some stands.

Around 4 p.m. on the 5th, an apartment sales advertisement is posted on a streetlight near the main gate of the SK hynix headquarters in Bubal-eup, Icheon, Gyeonggi. The flyer reads, "VIP benefits limited to the first 10 SK hynix employees." /Courtesy of Kim Gwan-rae

There were two model homes within a straight-line distance of 50 meters from the main gate. One had already sold out, and about 85% of units at the other were contracted. About 20,000 SK hynix executives and employees work at the Icheon campus, but only about 4,000 apartment and officetel units are planned or on sale across Bubal-eup, making supply tight.

An official at a nearby developer said, "Unlike other areas where sentiment is sluggish, buying interest remains steady around SK hynix headquarters."

There were reportedly many financial industry officials promoting financial products ahead of the bonus payouts. In particular, import car brands targeted at SK hynix employees continued to compete with promotions.

Luxury import cars lined the area around "Haengbok Maeul," the dormitory complex where SK hynix employees live. One SK hynix employee said, "In the past, German brands like Mercedes-Benz or BMW were the main ones you saw, but this year there's been a noticeable increase in people driving Porsches."

◇ Nearby restaurants see a "bonus boom"… "We can't take more because there are no seats"

Around 5:30 p.m., SK hynix employees who had finished work left the main gate with smiles on their faces. Conversations naturally turned to bonuses, with lines like "I'm thinking about where to spend it," "Are you changing your car?" and "It was tough, but I'm glad we held on."

Some employees took company shuttles straight to Seoul, but many headed to nearby restaurants. A person surnamed Park, 35, an SK hynix employee met at the main gate, said, "I'm in a good mood after getting a big bonus, so I'm going for a drink with colleagues," adding, "There's a vibe of working hard to get even more next year."

On the 5th, people gather around a restaurant district near the SK hynix headquarters in Icheon, Gyeonggi. /Courtesy of Lee Ho-jun

A look around the restaurant district that day showed the pricier places were more crowded. By around 7 p.m., upscale Chinese and Japanese restaurants were already full with reservations. Some patrons tried to enter but turned away because there were no seats. Scenes capturing the "bonus boom" repeated across the area.

The owner of a Chinese restaurant near SK hynix's Icheon campus said, "All private rooms for groups have been fully booked for the past few days," adding, "Without SK hynix, the surrounding shops couldn't survive."

A Japanese restaurant owner also said, "Maybe because SK hynix's recent results have been strong, customers are up 30% to 40%," adding, "For today, reservations are already set for about 20 tables, leaving only two unbooked."

Around 5:30 p.m. on the 5th, an employee shuttle bus leaves the main gate of the SK hynix headquarters in Bubal-eup, Icheon, Gyeonggi. /Courtesy of Kim Gwan-rae

SK hynix is propping up the local commercial district. According to the Gyeonggi-do Market Revitalization Agency, average monthly sales per store in Bubal-eup, where SK hynix is located, came to 12.97 million won from the second half of 2024 to the first half of 2025. That is 18.2% higher than the Icheon average of 10.97 million won.

Some, however, said the commercial district near SK hynix is underdeveloped, so people often take the shuttle to gather in Seoul. A person surnamed Choi, 36, an SK hynix employee, said, "(In front of the company) the selection of places is limited and quite a few colleagues live in Seoul, so we decided to take the shuttle up and enjoy a casual beer there."

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