Blue House Expresses Significant Concern over Samsung Electronics Strike... Not at Decision Stage for Emergency Adjustment Order

Lee Guyoun, Senior Presidential Secretary, Briefs at Chunchugwan

"We Absolutely Hope a Situation Like a Strike Will Not Occur"

The Office of the President stated on May 15 that it is "watching with considerable concern and worry" regarding the Samsung Electronics labor union's announcement of a strike, but also noted, "We cannot definitively say at this point that emergency arbitration will be invoked immediately."

Lee Guyoun, Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication, responded during a briefing at the Chunchugwan press center that afternoon to a question about whether emergency arbitration is under consideration, saying, "We are not at a stage where a decision can be made," and explained, "We hope that labor-management relations will be resolved smoothly."

Yonhap News Agency

Lee further elaborated, "One in ten people either directly or indirectly owns Samsung Electronics shares, and it is known that there are about 1,700 partner companies," adding, "Because Samsung Electronics plays such a significant role in the national economy, we sincerely hope that a situation like a strike does not occur."

Lee also commented on Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jungkwan's remarks regarding the potential invocation of emergency arbitration, saying, "I believe the Minister has said all he needs to say in his capacity as the Minister." Previously, on May 14, Minister Kim wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account, "As the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, I believe that if a strike occurs, emergency arbitration would be unavoidable."

Emergency arbitration is a measure based on Article 76 of the Labor Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act (the Trade Union Act) whereby the Minister of Employment and Labor may invoke it if a labor dispute threatens the daily lives of citizens or is likely to significantly harm the national economy. If emergency arbitration is invoked, all industrial actions are prohibited for 30 days, and mediation and arbitration procedures by the Central Labor Relations Commission are conducted during this period.

Samsung Electronics management and union have failed to reach an agreement on the key issue of institutionalizing the performance-based bonus system. The union has warned that, unless the company accepts its demands, it will launch an all-out strike for 18 days from May 21 to June 7.

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