Bank of Korea Warns AI Semiconductor Bonuses at Samsung and SK Hynix Risk Spreading Wage Inflation Beyond the Tech Sector

South Korea's central bank warned Wednesday that unusually large bonuses at semiconductor firms driven by the AI hardware boom could spread wage expectations across non-tech sectors and fuel broader inflation pressure. The Bank of Korea's report flagged that payouts at Samsung and SK Hynix — swelled by global AI demand — risk amplifying consumer spending at a moment when Q1 2026 GDP already hit 1.7% growth, its strongest quarter in five years, with inflation running at 2.6% year-over-year. New BOK Governor Shin Hyun-song faces a rate-hike decision if the wage contagion materializes.