SK hynix union members rejected a tentative 2026 wage deal after two months of talks, with 7,535 of those voting, or 50.08%, opposing the pact in an electronic ballot that drew 93.8% turnout from 15,045 of 16,083 members. The package, reached the prior week, included a 6.3% wage increase and a revised performance-based incentive paying 40% in cash and 60% in company shares, with part of the stock deferred. Management and the union are expected to resume negotiations, with the incentive payment system again the main sticking point. The union also rejected tentative deals in 2023 and 2024. The world’s second-largest memory chipmaker has been posting strong profits on demand for high-bandwidth memory used in artificial intelligence, and the outcome may still influence bonus talks at other major South Korean firms.