An online chart titled “2026 Major Figures in Korea — Annual Salaries” has drawn attention after it showed the Samsung Electronics union chair’s pay exceeding that of the U.S. or South Korean presidents.
On the 26th, users circulated a graphic labeled “2026 Major Figures in Korea — Annual Salaries” across threads and social platforms.
The image lists five figures and their reported annual pay in ranked order: Choi Seung-ho, chair of Samsung Electronics’ cross-company union (900 million KRW (approximately $675,000)); U.S. President Donald Trump (600 million KRW (approximately $450,000)); Shin Hyun-song, governor of the Bank of Korea (350 million KRW (approximately $262,500)); President Lee Jae-myung (260 million KRW (approximately $195,000)); and Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong (0 KRW (approximately $0)).
Although the title references “Major Figures in Korea,” the graphic includes the U.S. president to emphasize relative compensation levels.
The most striking entry is Choi Seung-ho at No. 1, with the image listing his annual pay as 900 million KRW (approximately $675,000).
Depending on the outcome of Samsung Electronics’ labor negotiations, some employees in the semiconductor (DS) division could receive total annual compensation in the high hundreds of millions of won when base pay, performance bonuses, and company stock awards are combined.
However, Choi’s listed 900 million KRW (approximately $675,000) is not an officially confirmed figure. Analysts say it likely assumes the maximum performance bonus and reflects an estimate rather than a verified payment; the estimate may be overstated and could differ materially from the actual amount.
Under a tentative 2026 wage agreement between Samsung and its union, memory-division employees in the semiconductor (DS) unit with a 100 million KRW (approximately $75,000) base salary could receive roughly 600 million KRW (approximately $450,000) in company stock.
Union executives, including Chair Choi, may also receive position allowances under the union bylaws (Article 48). The bylaws permit up to 10% of union dues to fund such allowances, or up to 5% if the executive team has eight or fewer members. In practice, this means executives could receive position allowances in addition to their regular pay.
By contrast, the graphic’s listing of the U.S. president’s pay as 600 million KRW (approximately $450,000) aligns with the statutory salary. The U.S. president’s annual salary was $400,000 as of 2024, which the graphic lists as 600 million KRW (approximately $450,000).
Shin Hyun-song’s listed pay of 350 million KRW (approximately $262,500) also roughly matches published figures. The Bank of Korea reported a base salary for the governor of 326.69 million KRW (approximately $245,018) in 2024, and including allowances the governor’s total annual compensation typically falls in the mid-to-high 300 million KRW range.
The chart’s figure of 260 million KRW (approximately $195,000) for President Lee Jae-myung corresponds to last year’s reported salary (about 262.58 million KRW (approximately $196,935)). The presidential salary for this year rose to 271.77 million KRW (approximately $203,828), an increase of 9.19 million KRW (approximately $6,893) from the prior year.
Displaying Lee Jae-yong’s pay as 0 KRW (approximately $0) is also broadly accurate. He has reportedly led the company without receiving pay for years, a practice he adopted after becoming embroiled in the 2017 corruption scandal and subsequently declaring unpaid management while facing trial.
Online reactions noted the contrast—“Chairman Lee gets 0 won while the union chair is listed at 900 million won”—and some users said they were surprised by how modest the U.S. president’s salary appears.
Still, critics cautioned that the image does not originate from a government source or other official institution and should not be treated as an authoritative statistical release.
They also warned that some entries, such as Choi’s listed pay, appear to be estimates rather than actual payments, and readers should interpret the graphic with caution.
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