SK hynix Union Rejects Stock-Heavy Bonus, Forcing New Talks

* Editor's note: AI PRISM (Personalized Report & Insight Summarizing Media) is an AI-based personalized news recommendation and summary service developed with support from the Korea Press Foundation. It selects and provides six tailored news items for each reader type.

1. SK hynix Union Rejects "Stock Bonus," Enters Renegotiation

Summary: In the vote by SK hynix's production-line union on the tentative agreement, 50.08% (7,535 members) voted against and 49.92% (7,510) voted in favor, defeating the deal by just 25 votes. Management and the union had earlier agreed to a 6.3% wage increase and to pay 40% of profit-sharing bonuses (PS) in cash and 60% in company stock. Shop-floor concerns over share-price volatility and a rising portion of stock going forward were cited as the main reasons for the rejection, and some in the industry suggest bargaining could drag on over the stock-to-cash ratio. The technical and office-staff union approved its agreement with an approval rate in the 60% range, but attention is focused on the outcome, as terms could be applied retroactively depending on the results of the production-line renegotiation.

2. New Mortgages Fall on Tighter Lending Controls; Share and Balance for Those in Their 30s Hit Record

Summary: According to the Bank of Korea's "Second-Quarter 2026 Household Debt Statistics by Borrower," the average new mortgage per borrower in the second quarter was 208.29 million won, down 21.1 million won from the previous quarter, the largest decline since the data series began in 2013. Yet the share of new mortgages taken by borrowers in their 30s hit a record 43.7%, giving them greater weight, while their average outstanding mortgage balance also grew to 234.19 million won. Those in their 20s were the only age group with an increase in new lending, averaging 232.17 million won, and their average outstanding mortgage balance topped 200 million won for the first time. With the decline most pronounced in the greater Seoul area, some suggest new lending could rise again in the third quarter as loan limits are expanded under the August 13 policy measures.

3. Trump Presses Ahead: A 143-Million-Won Bill for Skilled-Worker Visas

Summary: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security published a proposed rule in the Federal Register imposing a $103,265 (about 143 million won) fee on H-1B visa applicants, and the administration appears to be pushing ahead despite a federal court finding it unlawful. Given that the previous fee was in the range of $2,000 to $5,000, this amounts to an increase of up to 50-fold, with the cost borne by the companies employing the applicants. Alarm has spread among Korean companies, whose country ranked fifth among the countries of origin for approved H-1B workers in fiscal 2024, and the move is expected to disrupt the deployment of overseas staff by firms including Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and Hyundai Motor. The Department of Homeland Security plans to raise $8.8 billion (about 12 trillion won) a year through the measure to fund immigration policy, and will finalize the rule late this year after a 30-day comment period.

4. Business Sentiment Turns Positive; September BSI at 102

Summary: A survey by the Federation of Korean Industries of the 600 largest companies by revenue found that the September Business Survey Index (BSI) outlook came in at 102.0, crossing the baseline of 100 for the first time in six months. It was the first time in four years and 11 months, since October 2021, that both manufacturing (101.7) and non-manufacturing (102.4) exceeded the baseline at once, seen as a sign that a recovery led by semiconductors has spread to materials and components. The domestic-demand outlook also turned positive for the first time in four years and three months, and the stabilization of the won-dollar exchange rate—from an average of 1,501.9 won in the second quarter to an average of 1,417.0 won this month—also contributed to the improvement in business sentiment. Ahead of the Chuseok holiday, the wholesale and retail (115.6) and transport and warehousing (104.2) sectors lifted the overall index, though some sectors such as construction and leisure remained below the baseline.

5. MyData Introduced for Small Business Owners; AI Agents Make Rate Cuts Easier

Summary: The Financial Services Commission is pursuing a revision to the Credit Information Act to allow sole proprietors and small business owners to use MyData services, and announced a development plan to expand the scope of MyData provision to all credit-information subjects. This opens the way for AI agents to handle, on customers' behalf, the right to request an interest-rate cut, the right to request debt adjustment, applications for policy funds, applications for loan refinancing and claims for hidden insurance benefits; a related service designated as an innovative financial service late last year has already helped 160,000 people ease an interest burden of about 100 billion won. The concurrent operations of MyData providers will also shift to a comprehensive-permission approach, allowing them to conduct businesses not explicitly listed through licensing. The information provided through MyData will be expanded to virtual assets and policy finance, and a system for jointly using personal credit information among financial-group affiliates will also be introduced.

6. Up to 5% Interest Plus Olive Young Coupons: Hana Bank's CJ ONE Savings Event

Summary: Hana Bank has teamed up with CJ Olivenetworks to run its "CJ ONE Naemaeum Savings Season 2" event through October 31, offering a top interest rate of up to 5.0% a year—a base rate of 2.0%, plus 0.5% for automatic transfers and a 2.5% special preferential rate. Those who sign up through the CJ ONE app receive an Olive Young discount coupon (10,000 won for new customers, 5,000 won for existing ones), with an additional 1,000 CJ ONE points for two monthly deposits and a Mega MGC coffee coupon for three. The monthly deposit limit is 500,000 won and the subscription period is up to six months; the season 2 format follows the first event in May this year, which sold out early within a single day.