Samsung Electronics will announce preliminary results for the second quarter of 2026 on July 7, with brokerage forecasts split. Operating profit estimates range from 80 to 92 trillion won, largely due to differing assumptions on provisions for bonuses in the semiconductor (DS) division. Memory price rises are seen lifting results, while non-memory businesses are expected to lag. Analysts also flagged third-quarter profit estimates and shareholder returns as key variables.

South Korea’s competition for semiconductor talent is shifting as disputes over bonus calculations and union strikes raise engineers’ willingness to leave. Firms are vying to absorb designers, while some experienced hires face early rejections and are pushed toward graduate recruitment. Industry talk includes efforts to curb poaching, narrowing direct job moves. The shortage is structural: demand is set to rise from 177,000 in 2021 to 304,000 in 2031, with training taking years.