Seoul: SK hynix Inc. was named the most preferred company among job seekers, a poll showed Monday, amid the chipmaker's record-breaking earnings following the artificial intelligence (AI) boom.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the survey of 2,304 job seekers conducted by Saramin, a major South Korean job-search website, revealed that 20 percent of respondents expressed a desire to work at SK hynix. This edged out Samsung Electronics Co., which garnered the preference of 18.9 percent of participants. This marks the first occasion SK hynix has surpassed Samsung Electronics in such surveys, according to the platform operator.

Hyundai Motor Co. ranked third with 7.9 percent, while Naver Corp. and Samsung C and T Corp. followed with 4 percent and 3 percent, respectively. Respondents indicated that high wages were the primary factor for choosing employers like SK hynix, Samsung Electronics, and Hyundai Motor. For those who favored Naver, the company's vision and growth potential were significant attractions.

In 2025, SK hynix achieved a record annual operating profit of 47.2 trillion won (US$31.4 billion), surpassing its rival Samsung Electronics for the first time. This figure more than doubled from 2024. In light of the strong performance, SK hynix decided in February to award its employees bonuses amounting to 2,964 percent of their base monthly salary.