Massive performance bonuses by the world’s two largest memory chipmakers — Samsung Electronics and SK hynix — are expected to spur demand for premium imported vehicles and apartments in key semiconductor-linked residential regions, industry officials said Sunday.

According to market tracker FnGuide, Samsung Electronics is expected to post operating profit of 343.5 trillion won this year. Under its recently signed labor-management agreement, which allocates 12 percent of operating profit to special performance bonuses, total payouts are estimated at about 41 trillion won.

SK hynix is forecast to record operating profit of 255 trillion won, with 10 percent set aside for employee incentives, resulting in estimated payouts of about 25.5 trillion won.

The combined bonus pool for employees at the two firms is projected to reach around 67 trillion won ($44.2 billion), driven by the ongoing artificial intelligence (AI)-driven semiconductor upcycle.

Industry officials said the enormous cash injection could generate ripple effects across the economy, particularly boosting spending in the housing and automobile markets. In the first quarter alone, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix accounted for 77 percent of the total operating profit generated by companies listed on the benchmark KOSPI.

They expected areas surrounding major semiconductor facilities to see the most immediate impact.

“Regions near Samsung Electronics’ major production line, such as Dongtan in Gyeonggi Province, as well as areas near SK hynix’s manufacturing facilities in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, will see growing housing demand,” an official from the industry said.

Recent apartment price data already point to growing momentum in all the southern regions of Gyeonggi Province, a key residential belt for semiconductor workers.

According to the Korea Real Estate Board’s weekly apartment price survey for the third week of May, apartment prices rose 0.38 percent in Suji District, Yongin, 0.35 percent in Yeongtong District, Suwon, and 0.46 percent in Dongtan District, Hwaseong.

The weekly gains of 0.3 percent are generally seen as a sign of overheating in the nation’s apartment market.

“Expectations surrounding large-scale bonuses, combined with optimism over the semiconductor sector’s continued growth, contribute to the sharp rise in the housing demand there,” the official said.

Luxury imported car brands are also expected to benefit.

According to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association, the number of newly registered imported vehicles in Icheon nearly doubled after SK hynix paid performance bonuses in February.

New imported car registrations in the city reached 121 units in February, up 108.6 percent from 58 units a year earlier. In March, the figure climbed 81.3 percent year-on-year to 145 vehicles.

Officials in the imported car industry said premium brands such as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and BMW are already seeing increased inquiries from potential buyers, particularly those in their 30s and 40s.

“Premium models such as the Porsche 911, Taycan and Cayenne, as well as the BMW X6, are widely regarded as dream cars among young high-income consumers in Korea,” an imported car industry official said. “The anticipated bonus payouts are expected to further increase demand for those vehicles and other premium cars.”