Samsung chip workers defect to SK Hynix amid AI talent war

Samsung Electronics is losing semiconductor engineers to rival SK Hynix, which is offering massive bonuses from record AI chip profits. An engineer identified as Lee said his entire team of 30 applied to SK Hynix after a July job posting. SK Hynix is paying $476,000 per employee this year, mostly in cash, while Samsung's foundry division workers get about $135,000. A Samsung labor union survey found 81.5% of foundry employees want to leave within two years. Union chief Choi Seung-ho said over 200 members have already left for SK Hynix. Samsung won a court injunction in July barring two former chip workers from joining SK Hynix for 18 months, citing national core technology. SK Hynix added 2,152 employees in the first half of 2026 and aims to double manufacturing capacity in five years. Samsung plans to hire 60,000 over five years. South Korea's semiconductor industry faces a shortage of 54,000 workers by 2031. SK Hynix briefly surpassed Samsung as South Korea's most valuable company in June.