Foreign media outlets are showing growing interest in employees at Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, who have become major figures in the dating and marriage markets after receiving hundreds of millions of won in performance bonuses.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that "the dating market has been suddenly taken over by 'chip nerks,'" claiming that thanks to bonuses amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars, engineers from Samsung and SK hynix are ranked among the most popular singles in South Korea.

Introducing the case of Mr. A, a man in his 30s working as a memory chip engineer at Samsung Electronics, the WSJ stated that Mr. A, who is set to receive hundreds of millions of won in bonuses equivalent to several years' salary of an average South Korean office worker, is confused as to whether the sudden surge of interest from the opposite sex is sincere or driven by his inflated bank balance.

The WSJ analyzed that technological advancements are boosting not only South Korea's stock market but also the "marriage market value" of single men and women in the semiconductor industry, noting that employees are being treated as preciously as the memory chips AI companies struggle to secure to build data centers.

It added that while employees of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix had previously lagged behind lawyers and doctors as marriage partners, recent analyses by matchmaking agencies show that engineers now stand shoulder to shoulder with these professional groups in the marriage market.

The WSJ also cited examples of a male Samsung Electronics engineer being chosen by as many as three women on a recent domestic dating show, and a man wearing a company vest bearing the name SK hynix being treated well on a variety show.

Reporting that this year's performance bonuses are expected to average about USD 400,000 per person at Samsung Electronics and USD 500,000 at SK hynix, the WSJ also noted that the South Korean stock market, heavily influenced by the two semiconductor giants, has grown about 2.5 times since early last year.

Reported by Kim Taewon | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News