South Korea’s semiconductor boom is beginning to spread from corporate earnings and exports into household consumption, with the Bank of Korea estimating that bonuses paid by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix could lift next year’s economic growth by 0.06 to 0.09 percentage points. The central bank’s analysis found that monthly consumption in high-exposure areas including Icheon and Hwaseong in Gyeonggi Province and Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province was as much as 4% higher than elsewhere after bonuses were paid. Cumulative additional consumption reached about 1.1 trillion won through June and could rise to 1.7 trillion won by year-end, equivalent to an average of about 800 billion won annually across 2025 and 2026. Next year’s immediately cashable, after-tax bonuses are estimated at 21.9 trillion won, roughly five times this year’s 4.4 trillion won. The consumption spillover rate was 27% in 2025 and 21% this year. The BOK estimates that next year’s GDP level could be 0.08% to 0.12% higher than without the semiconductor boom. Spending has focused on property, automobiles, department stores, appliances and furniture, while everyday retail, healthcare and education spending showed little change. The BOK said employment growth and whether bonus income flows into consumption rather than asset markets will determine how broadly the effect spreads.