▲ AI PRISM* Customized Economic Briefing
*Editor's Note: 'AI PRISM' (Personalized Report & Insight Summarizing Media) is an 'AI-based customized news recommendation and summarization service' developed with support from the Korea Press Foundation. It selects and provides six customized news items for each reader type.
[Key Issue Briefing]
■ AI-Driven SaaS Revenue Model Transformation Accelerates: ServiceNow has introduced a hybrid pricing model combining subscription fees with AI usage-based token charges, fundamentally changing the revenue structure of the SaaS industry. The outlook suggests that talent unable to utilize AI will be left behind, while those who can handle AI will take on core roles.
■ First Curb on Lump-Sum Wage Abuse: The Ministry of Employment and Labor has established its first official guidelines requiring employers to pay overtime differentials even under lump-sum wage agreements. This is interpreted as an institutional safeguard to reduce 'unpaid labor' suffered by new employees.
■ KT (030200.KS) Undergoes Major Workforce Reorganization Centered on AX: KT has made a bold move in its AI transformation by selecting top 30% of talent from each division and concentrating them in the newly established AX Business Division. Demand for AI-capable working-level talent is surging across the telecommunications industry.
[News of Interest to New Employees]
1. "Introducing Token Pricing with AI" – ServiceNow Disrupts Software Industry
- Key Summary: ServiceNow has introduced a hybrid pricing model adding AI usage-based token costs to subscription fees. Revenue from flagship generative AI products is projected to reach billions of dollars this year, up from $600 million last year. President Amit Zavery noted, "Pain awaits companies that don't understand AI or just add auxiliary features and call it AI." He explained that talent who reject AI will lose their jobs, while those who embrace it will take on more important roles.
2. "Overtime Differentials Must Be Paid"… Government Issues First Lump-Sum Wage Standards
- Key Summary: The Ministry of Employment and Labor has prepared 'Guidelines for Preventing Abuse of Lump-Sum Wages,' effective from the 9th. Even with fixed overtime agreements, if payments fall short of legally mandated allowances based on actual working hours, the difference must be paid, with violations subject to wage theft penalties. The guidelines also clarified that flat-rate pay or fixed allowance systems that do not distinguish between base pay and allowances are not permitted. Business groups are protesting that uniform application to industries where working hour tracking is difficult will inevitably cause confusion.
- Key Summary: The Supreme Court ruled that Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance's performance bonuses are not included in average wages used to calculate retirement pension contributions, overturning the lower court's decision. The basis was that employment rules did not include performance bonus provisions and payment criteria changed multiple times, making it difficult to establish a continuous, regular payment obligation. The court determined that net profit reflects not just labor provision but also market conditions, capital scale, and management decisions, making it difficult to view as compensation for labor. Analysis suggests this ruling further clarifies legal standards regarding whether bonuses constitute wages.
[Reference News for New Employees]
4. Park Yoon-young Makes AX Bet… Concentrating 30% of Core Talent
- Key Summary: KT is selecting top 30% of talent from its AX Future Technology Institute, Customer, Network, and IT divisions and concentrating them in the newly established AX Business Division. Transfer conditions include at least three years of experience for new hires and at least five years for master's and doctoral-level researchers, targeting experienced personnel ready for immediate deployment. AI-related revenue last year rose only slightly to 1.14 trillion won, and the company was eliminated from the national flagship AI project selection, raising questions about execution capability. With CEO Park Yoon-young declaring 'transformation into an AX platform company within three years,' observers note that consolidation of human resources capabilities is now fully underway.
- Key Summary: Pulmuone Food & Culture achieved record-high revenue of 924.1 billion won last year, up from 680 billion won in 2023 since CEO Lee Dong-hun took office, and has set a target of surpassing 1 trillion won this year. The company explained that its field-focused strategy—with the CEO personally attending contract pitches and visiting client cafeterias quarterly to check quality—has delivered results. The company has also achieved success in ingredient management and cost reduction by introducing an AI meal prediction system. With contract renewal rates exceeding 90%, above the industry average of 85%, data-driven management is proving competitive.
6. Kiwoom Securities (039490.KS) Enters Pension Market… "Targeting Top 5 Market Share"
- Key Summary: Kiwoom Securities has completed registration as a retirement pension provider and is entering the pension market with integrated services covering IRP, DC, and DB systems. The strategy is to leverage its retail investor base and digital platform competitiveness to offer online-only products at low cost. Long-term plans include building a lifecycle-integrated asset management platform linking retirement pensions, pension savings, and ISAs. The company explained its plan to offer wealth accumulation strategies for young workers and tax-linked withdrawal plans for older demographics.
