According to South Korean media reports, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has distributed a total of 200 billion won (approximately US$139 million) in performance bonuses to employees of its internal partner companies.
Including 500,000 won in holiday travel expenses, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ outsourced workers actually received 12 million won (approximately US$8,300) in performance bonuses, while the average performance bonus for regular employees at headquarters was 17.21 million won (approximately US$11,900).
It is worth mentioning that although the difference in performance bonuses between HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ full-time employees and outsourced workers is as high as 5.21 million won (approximately US$3,600), this is already the highest level of performance bonuses paid to outsourced workers in the Korean shipbuilding industry. This means that HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has fulfilled its previous promise to “pay outsourced workers the highest level of performance bonuses in the industry” and will pay them to outsourced workers as scheduled in February 2026.
The report states that even during a downturn in the shipbuilding industry, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has maintained its commitment to providing bonuses to its internal partner companies, and has further increased bonus amounts this year. This move is reportedly aimed at sharing the company’s profits with employees in these partner companies and narrowing the gap between them and headquarters employees.
In addition, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is the only shipbuilding company in South Korea that provides employees of its internal partner companies with various welfare programs, including holiday travel expenses, free meals and tuition assistance.
A representative from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries stated, “Internal partners are collaborators who enhance the competitiveness of the shipbuilding industry… The company will continue to promote mutually beneficial cooperation measures that can be felt in the practical field.”
Samsung Heavy Industries, one of South Korea’s three major shipbuilding giants, took the lead (January 30) in distributing bonuses, and for the first time in 12 years, it issued an Overall Performance Incentive (OPI). The OPI is the core of Samsung Group’s performance bonus system, stipulating that if a business unit exceeds its annual profit target, 20% of the excess profit can be allocated as a bonus, with a maximum amount reaching 50% of the annual salary.
Samsung Heavy Industries confirmed that the OPI distribution scale is 208% of “basic salary + allowances,” and the recipients include both regular employees of Samsung Heavy Industries and employees of internal partner companies. For employees of internal partner companies, those with more than 5 years of service share the same 208% bonus base as regular employees of Samsung Heavy Industries, those with more than 3 years of service receive 80%, and those with more than 2 years of service receive 70%.
Regarding the differentiated payment of OPI based on seniority, a Samsung Heavy Industries representative explained, “This measure is part of a system that aims to maintain skilled workers on the shipbuilding site and ensure its continued operation.”