[Exclusive] SKT Introduces Differential Performance Bonuses... First Target is Apollo TF

CEO Yoo Young-sang Mentioned at April Town Hall Meeting
Likely First Payment Case Since System Establishment
Some Employee Opposition... Internal Communication Becomes Crucial

SK Telecom SKT Tower Exterior View

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] SK Telecom is implementing a ‘differentiated performance bonus’ system that awards stocks or cash when individual departments or organizations achieve internally set goals, alongside the existing performance bonus system. The first target has been decided as the artificial intelligence (AI) strategy control tower, the Apollo Task Force (TF). The company explains this move aligns with the meritocracy trend across the IT industry, but some internal employees are reportedly unsettled after news of the payment decision for Apollo TF was revealed before the service launch.

Apollo TF to Receive Company Shares Worth Approximately 5 Million KRW Per Person

According to the telecommunications industry on the 13th, SK Telecom is strongly considering granting Apollo TF employees company shares worth about 5 million KRW per person as part of an additional performance reward system. Based on the closing price on the 12th (59,800 KRW), this corresponds to roughly 84 shares. This is expected to be the first payment case following CEO Yoo Young-sang’s announcement at the company-wide town hall meeting in April that "an additional performance reward system will be introduced."

However, internal views on the payment decision for Apollo TF are skeptical. There is suspicion about the rationale behind the company rewarding the TF before officially launching core services such as the ‘AI agent.’ Currently, CEO Yoo is leading the TF, which is planned to be expanded into a formal organization in the future. Among employees, negative reactions such as "What are the criteria and scale for this performance bonus?" and "We cannot understand why a performance bonus is given before the service launch" have emerged. The news spread first through an anonymous employee bulletin board rather than an official company announcement, raising internal communication risks.

SKT: "Encouraging a Performance-Oriented Culture"

SK Telecom stated that since this is an ‘additional reward’ rather than a replacement for existing compensation, the policy aims to foster a performance-oriented culture and encourage healthy competition. The company explained, "This method enhances employees’ actual perception of rewards," and added, "Given the fierce competition for talent acquisition in the IT industry recently, we believe this will also help attract outstanding talent."

In the business community, dissatisfaction with performance bonus systems based on collective achievements such as company-wide, departmental, or organizational results rather than individual performance has long existed. Last year, starting with SK Hynix, internal conflicts over performance bonuses also arose across the IT industry, including the gaming sector. An industry insider noted, "As controversies repeatedly arise mainly among 2030 MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) employees regarding the scale and calculation criteria of performance bonuses, internal communication appears more important than ever."