Jun Young-hyun, vice chairman and chief executive of the Device Solutions division at Samsung Electronics, speaks at the company's shareholders meeting held in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on March 18, 2026. [KIM SEONG-RYONG]
Samsung Electronics executives publicly apologized Friday for the “serious concern and worry" it has caused to the public and the government over the possibly imminent general strike.
The company’s executive leadership issued a statement titled “We Apologize to the Public,” marking the first public message addressed to the nation in the name of Samsung Electronics executives since the company’s founding.
On the same day, however, the union leader released recordings from government-mediated talks to union members, while internal tensions escalated with signs of conflict among union members and moves to seek an injunction, raising the prospect of labor disputes spilling into internal divisions and legal battles.
“We cannot afford to waste time on internal company issues,” the executives said in the statement. “We regard the union as part of one family and a community sharing the same destiny, and we will engage in dialogue with an unconditional and open attitude."
“We once again urge the union to think of the public's concerns and the national economy, and return to talks promptly,” continued the statement. "We promise to serve as a steadfast pillar of the national economy through stronger management fundamentals, continuous technological innovation and bold future investment.”
The statement carried the names of key executives, including Jun Young-hyun, vice chairman and chief executive of the Device Solutions division overseeing semiconductors, and Roh Tae-moon, president and chief executive of the Device Experience (DX) division responsible for smartphones and home appliances.
Industry observers say management took the rare step of issuing a collective apology because a general strike could have major repercussions for semiconductor supply chains and the national economy.
A passerby is seen in front of the Samsung Electronics' Seocho office building in southern Seoul on May 15, 2026. [NEWS1]
Labor-management tensions, however, appear to be intensifying.
On Friday, the Samsung Electronics chapter of the Samsung Group United Union, the company’s largest union, disclosed recordings from the post-mediation talks held by the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC).
According to industry sources, union chairman Choi Seung-ho shared audio files recorded during the mediation process in an anonymous union chat room. The union and Samsung Electronics held follow-up mediation talks on wage negotiations under the commission’s mediation on Monday and Tuesday, but the talks ultimately broke down.
The released recordings reportedly included Choi criticizing Kim Hyung-ro, a Samsung Electronics vice president representing management in negotiations, saying, “Is it reasonable to act as though annual operating profit this year will not even reach 200 trillion won ($133 billion) when it will be 300 trillion won?” Choi also reportedly accused Kim of “distorting the scale of earnings without understanding semiconductors at all.”
Choi was also said to have told mediators from the labor commission that the union "has no intention of talking with the company any further."
Choi Seung-ho, head of the Samsung Electronics chapter of the Samsung Group United Union, speaks to reporters after attending a hearing at Suwon District Court in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on May 13. [YONHAP]
The union subsequently declared the mediation a failure and is maintaining plans for an 18-day general strike from Thursday through June 7.
The NLRC officially requested the resumption of mediation talks on Saturday, and Samsung Electronics sent the union a formal document on Friday proposing additional discussions on disputed issues. Choi, however, effectively rejected the proposal, saying, “We will discuss matters after June 7.”
Another issue is that the labor dispute has spread into internal divisions within the union itself.
Among union members in Samsung Electronics’ DX division, there is growing momentum to seek an injunction challenging the union’s legitimacy as the bargaining representative. Opposition had been building up among staff that the semiconductor-focused union is ignoring the views of DX employees and that the union’s wage agreement negotiations and strike plans should be halted.
Some union members have reportedly begun raising funds for legal costs and are in the process of retaining a law firm.
The Samsung Electronics' headquarters in Suwon, Gyeonggi [YONHAP]
Frustration is also reportedly growing even among DX employees who claim the union is focused solely on semiconductor performance bonuses. Some members have even expressed intentions to leave the union in protest against higher union fees during the strike period, saying they would rather pay legal expenses than union dues.
If an injunction is formally filed, the union could face additional legal risks on top of the company's own injunction request seeking to ban what it describes as "illegal strike activities."
Analysts say the impact could be greater because the potential injunction from employees would challenge not only the strike but also the union’s legitimacy and bargaining rights.
Samsung Electronics previously filed an injunction request against the union, citing the need to protect semiconductor production lines, prevent wafer contamination and block the occupation of company facilities.
The Suwon District Court is expected to issue a decision by Wednesday, one day before the planned strike begins.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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