Samsung's $402K bonus split sparks internal feud

Samsung Electronics is facing internal turmoil as its Device Experience (DX) division employees protest a massive compensation gap with the chipmaking division. The Samsung Electronics Company Union (SECU), representing DX workers, has organized a rally under the slogan “same company, same rights” at the company’s Suwon plant, criticizing a performance incentive scheme that excludes DX employees. The scheme grants up to 600 million won ($402,900) to chip division (Device Solutions, DS) employees, creating a nearly 100-fold pay gap that has fueled resentment among DX staff.

The conflict highlights growing divisions within Samsung, where DX employees argue that their division’s past profits funded chip investments. With the chip industry booming, DX workers feel abandoned as management silos DX and DS divisions further. The SECU, now the company’s second-largest union with 28,569 members (55% of DX’s 51,700 workforce), is demanding equal compensation and an end to what they call discriminatory practices. The dispute underscores broader tensions over fairness and corporate governance in one of South Korea’s largest conglomerates.