South Korea’s semiconductor heartland nearly ground to a halt last month. Workers at Samsung Electronics’ massive Pyeongtaek complex prepared for an 18-day strike. The trigger? How to divide the windfall from exploding demand for memory chips that power artificial intelligence systems. The company blinked. It struck a last-minute deal with its union to share 10.5 percent of semiconductor operating profits as bonuses. Union members ratified it. Some employees in the memory chip division now stand to receive payouts averaging $340,000 this year. A few could pocket as much as $400,000. That’s roughly four times the firm’s average annual salary. Bloomberg reported the details on May 29, 2026. The agreement averted immediate production chaos. Yet it ignited fresh tensions inside Samsung and across South Korean industry. Employees outside the semiconductor division received far less. Some got around $4,000. Resentment spread quickly through shared cafeterias and office floors. But the story runs deeper.…