On December 16, Samsung Electronics held a global strategy meeting to review its business strategy for next year and its mid- to long-term direction. The photo shows Samsung Electronics’ Seocho headquarters in Seoul on the day. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — Samsung Electronics said it will award performance bonuses of up to 100 percent of base monthly pay to employees in its semiconductor division for the second half of the year, reflecting a sharp recovery in its memory chip business driven by artificial intelligence demand.
The company announced on Monday that it will pay its Target Achievement Incentive, or TAI, on December 24. The bonus program, a core component of Samsung’s compensation system, is distributed twice a year and is tied to both divisional and business unit performance, with payouts capped at one month’s base salary.
Employees in the memory business will receive the maximum 100 percent payout, a dramatic increase from the 25 percent awarded in the first half of the year. The improvement follows an expansion of customers for high-bandwidth memory chips and rising prices for conventional DRAM amid accelerating global investment in AI infrastructure.
Analysts estimate that operating profit at Samsung’s memory division surged to more than 23 trillion won in the second half, up from about 6.35 trillion won in the first half, bringing full-year operating profit for the unit close to 30 trillion won.
Within the company’s Device Solutions division, the system LSI and foundry businesses will each receive a 25 percent payout, while the semiconductor research arm will also receive the full 100 percent.
In the consumer-focused Device Experience division, the visual display and home appliance businesses will each receive bonuses equal to 37.5 percent of monthly base pay. The Mobile Experience unit earned the highest payout within the division, at 75 percent, buoyed by strong sales of the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip 7 smartphones released in the second half. The medical devices and network businesses will also receive 75 percent.
According to a consensus compiled by Yonhap Infomax from 11 securities firms, Samsung Electronics is expected to post full-year revenue of 331.1 trillion won and operating profit of 41.4 trillion won for 2025.
The company plans to release preliminary earnings for the year early next year.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
