Samsung Executives Bow in Apology: "Deep Concern Over Labor Issues... Repeatedly Urge Union for Dialogue"

Statement Released by Samsung Executives

"Union Is Family, We Will Approach Dialogue with an Open Mind"

"Cannot Afford to Waste Time on Internal Issues"

The executive board of Samsung Electronics has repeatedly urged the labor union, which has announced a general strike, to engage in dialogue, stating that they are prepared to approach discussions with an open attitude and no preconditions.

On the 15th, Samsung Electronics issued a statement in the name of the executive board, saying, "We consider the union to be part of our family and a community of shared destiny, and we will participate in discussions with an open attitude and without any conditions." The statement continued, "We once again urge the union to consider the concerns of the public and the national economy, and to come to the table for talks as soon as possible."

The executive board expressed their apologies, saying, "We have caused significant worry and burden to the public and the government due to the ongoing labor-management issues at Samsung Electronics."

They added, "As we achieve greater success, the expectations our society places on Samsung become more rigorous and higher, but we have not fully met those expectations. The executive board of Samsung Electronics feels a heavy sense of responsibility."

On March 18, at the 57th Samsung Electronics Annual General Meeting held at the Suwon Convention Center in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Younghyun Jeon, Vice Chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics and head of the Device Solutions division, gave a greeting as the chairman. Photo by the Joint Press Corps. Yonhap News

They went on to say, "We are now living in an era of limitless competition, where the global business environment is changing rapidly at every moment," and emphasized, "We cannot afford to waste time on internal issues." The board further stated, "We, the executive team, will put our heads together, keeping in mind the current economic situation and the long-term future of Korea, to find wise solutions."

In conclusion, the board said, "We once again bow our heads in apology, and promise to serve as a steadfast pillar of the national economy through more solid management, relentless technological innovation, and bold investments for the future."

The statement was endorsed by Vice Chairman and CEO Younghyun Jeon, President and CEO Taemoon Roh, as well as Sumoak Kim, Yongkwan Kim, Woojoon Kim, Wonkyung Kim, Sukwoo Nam, Mauro Porcini, Seunghee Park, Yongin Park, Honggeun Park, Soohyun Baek, Jaehyuk Song, and Seokwoo Yong, among other members of the executive board.

Previously, after the failure of the second round of post-mediation between labor and management overseen by the Central Labor Relations Commission, management requested further talks with the union. However, on this day, the union announced its intention to go ahead with the general strike on the 21st, stating that management's stance had not changed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.