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Gov't strives to prevent Samsung Electronics unions' strike
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By
Nam Hyun-woo
Published
May 13, 2026 4:25 pm
KST
Top officials prioritize dialogue over forced intervention
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, center, speaks during a ministerial meeting at Government Complex Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap
The government is scrambling to avert a looming strike at Samsung Electronics, with top officials vowing full government support to keep negotiations alive after the latest round of talks collapsed. More than 42,000 workers are expected to walk out next week.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said Wednesday that the government would provide “whatever assistance” was necessary to prevent the planned 18-day strike, set to begin May 21.
His remarks came after a government-arranged follow-up mediation session between Samsung Electronics and its unions ended earlier in the day without results, increasing the likelihood of the strike primarily involving employees from the company’s chipmaking division.
“The dispute should not lead to a strike under any circumstances,” Kim said during a meeting with labor and industry ministers, according to the Prime Minister's Office.
“The government will closely manage the situation, given the strike’s potential impact on the national economy, and help facilitate dialogue between the two sides.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol also wrote on social media that “there must never be a strike” and that “the government will support efforts until the end to ensure the issue is resolved through negotiations under any circumstances.”
The government, however, remains cautious about invoking an “emergency adjustment of industrial action,” a forcible measure to legally prevent strikes.
Under Korea’s labor laws, the labor minister can suspend collective actions for 30 days when the scale of a strike is deemed likely to impair the national economy or endanger citizens’ daily lives.
Given that semiconductors account for 38 percent of Korea’s total exports, a Samsung Electronics strike could potentially be viewed as harmful to the national economy.
However, such a move would also carry significant political risks. Although labor groups in Korea have so far not openly aligned themselves with Samsung Electronics’ unions, direct government intervention restricting such actions could trigger strong backlash from organized labor, as it would be seen as the state interfering with workers’ rights.
Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon said during a YouTube livestream on Wednesday morning, “The government’s position is that this issue must be resolved through dialogue.”
Choi Seung-ho, leader of Samsung Electronics' labor unions, speaks to reporters at the Suwon District Court, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday, after a court hearing on the company's injunction request seeking to ban the strike. Yonhap
Since December, Samsung Electronics management and unions have been locking horns over institutionalizing the company's bonus system, with unions demanding the company legally guarantee the allocation of 15 percent of operating profit as the basis for performance-based bonuses, as well as removing the bonus cap.
Management maintained its position of distributing an amount equivalent to 10 percent of operating profit without fixing the ratio in its collective bargaining agreement. It is also rejecting the unions’ demand to remove the bonus cap, out of concerns that it may undermine investment momentum for future growth.
During the mediation session, the government also proposed a compromise, but the unions rejected it as it was essentially maintaining the existing bonus system.
After talks broke down, Choi Seung-ho, the unions’ leader, told reporters that they would no longer participate in government-led mediation. He also said they are “not considering” further negotiations with management, but added that they would be willing to listen “if the company brings a proper proposal.”
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Samsung Electronics labor talks break down, general strike looms
Samsung Electronics also expressed deep regret over the collapsed talks.
“The unions’ decision is causing significant concern and anxiety not only for the company but also for employees, shareholders and the public, and we deeply regret the decision,” the company said in a statement.
“The unions have continued to insist only on a rigid institutionalization framework, rejecting the company’s proposal for a more flexible system tied to performance. The company will continue making every effort until the end to prevent the worst-case scenario through sincere dialogue.”
Samsung Electronics Executive Vice President Kim Hyung-ro, the company's top negotiator in wage talks with its labor unions, leaves the National Labor Relations Commission in Sejong, Wednesday, after a follow-up mediation session at the commission ended without results. Yonhap
The Suwon District Court held a hearing on Wednesday over Samsung Electronics’ injunction request seeking a ban on the planned strike.
Under Korea’s labor laws, unions are prohibited from halting any work deemed necessary to prevent damage to equipment or deterioration of raw materials and products. They are also banned from occupying key production facilities such as manufacturing lines. If the court determines that the strike plan violates those restrictions, it could ban the walkout.
The court will make its decision no later than May 20.
Last month, an Incheon court partially granted an injunction request filed by Samsung Biologics, a biopharmaceutical affiliate of Samsung Electronics, seeking to curb a union strike. The court allowed the strike itself, but ruled that workers at the final stage of the drug production process should not walk out.
Given this precedent, industry officials expect the Suwon court to take a similar view, meaning the company’s plants may not come to a complete halt, but production disruptions could be unavoidable.
“Regardless of the outcome of the injunction request, we once again emphasize that lawful industrial actions, including the general strike, will proceed as planned,” the unions said in a statement.
As of Wednesday afternoon, 42,558 Samsung Electronics union members had expressed their intention to join the strike through a survey. Industry officials speculate that the strike may lead to losses that could reach up to 40 trillion won ($26.8 billion).
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