Ministry pushes back against online claims of 'excess profit sharing' directive

Warns it will report malicious spreaders of false information to investigators

[Yonhap]
[Yonhap]

The Ministry of Employment and Labor officially denied online claims that the government had sent notices to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix ordering them to scrap their existing bonus structures as part of a plan to introduce a "semiconductor excess profit sharing" scheme. The ministry warned it would take strong action, including reporting malicious spreaders of false information to investigative authorities.

In a statement released Tuesday, the ministry said posts circulating online about a "semiconductor excess profit sharing" scheme and the "nullification of bonus agreements" were "entirely groundless falsehoods," adding that it had never sent any such notice.

The claims had spread widely in recent days across anonymous workplace online communities and social media, alleging that the government had directed Samsung Electronics and SK hynix to conduct a full review of their existing bonus agreements and redesign their compensation and distribution structures starting next year to align with a government-led excess profit sharing policy.

The ministry reiterated that the claims were false and warned that it "plans to respond firmly, including by reporting to investigative authorities, any future acts of maliciously creating or spreading such false content."

The ministry noted, however, that it plans to hold a forum this month on profit distribution in the semiconductor industry. The forum will gather a range of views on profit-sharing arrangements in the sector, with the specific agenda and schedule still being finalized, it said.

A ministry official said the planned forum had "nothing to do" with the content of the notices circulating online, and urged the public to "be careful not to let inaccurate information spread further."


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