Samsung Biologics Union Leader Who Criticized ‘Document Leaks’ Accused of Leaking Internal Documents

Details of Media Promotion Expenses Leaked Outside the Company

PDF File Lists ‘Jaesung Park’ as Author

The branch manager of the Samsung BioLogics labor union, which is currently in a state of labor-management conflict involving an all-out strike, is under police investigation for unauthorized disclosure of internal company documents.

According to the biopharmaceutical industry on May 13, Samsung BioLogics filed a complaint with the Incheon Yeonsu Police Station on April 22 against Jaesung Park, the branch manager of the Samsung BioLogics Coexistence Branch of the Samsung Group Superenterprise Labor Union.

Recently, details of tax invoices received by the internal PR department at Samsung BioLogics were edited into a file and leaked externally. It is reported that the author of this file was Branch Manager Park. His name appeared in the document properties of the distributed file as the author. Last November, Park had strongly criticized company management when some employee HR information was accidentally exposed to certain staff members at Samsung BioLogics.

Choi Seungho, branch manager of the Samsung Electronics branch of the Superenterprise Labor Union, also directly distributed part of this file. Using these materials, they have argued that the media is not properly representing their position, claiming this is because the company has paid advertising fees to news outlets.

As these facts became public, the industry has criticized the labor union for reaching an extreme level of "moral hazard." An industry official said, "Looking at the recent actions of the Samsung labor unions, it is almost as if they are under the delusion that they will receive bonuses even if the company collapses. The logic of leaking management-related materials without authorization, halting production, causing damage to the company, and yet expecting to receive performance bonuses is difficult to understand."

The author "Jae-sung Park" listed in the description section of the leaked internal company document file (left) and the name of Branch Manager Jaesung Park also appear as the user accessing Samsung BioLogics' internal system when the file was converted to a PowerPoint presentation (right).

There are also concerns that the risk is heightened because Branch Manager Park previously worked in an IT-related department before becoming a full-time union official. In addition, after the union executive board was granted permission to bring vehicles into the company premises as part of a settlement process following the unauthorized access to shared company folders and related document leaks last November, the risk is believed to have increased further. Although Samsung BioLogics implemented enhanced security measures such as the introduction of security paper following a series of trade secret leaks, union executives are believed to remain in a security blind spot.

An industry source said, "During this strike, the Samsung BioLogics labor union has repeatedly engaged in self-destructive behavior, such as actively informing client companies about the strike. It is reminiscent of the Luddite movement in 19th-century England, when workers destroyed spinning machines and set factories on fire in protest against the introduction of new technology."

'Union Activity Reaching Extreme Self-Destruction... Reminiscent of the 19th Century Luddite Movement'

The company's legal response has continued this month as well. On May 8, Samsung BioLogics filed a criminal complaint against six union officials for obstruction of business, ahead of a tripartite meeting among labor, management, and government. The reason cited was that they continued strike actions on certain production lines despite a court order banning industrial action in those areas. Earlier, on May 4, the company filed an additional complaint against one union member for allegedly applying psychological pressure on employees—such as monitoring work and encouraging them to leave early—during the full-scale strike.

The core issue in this conflict is the scale of wage and bonus increases. The union has demanded a 30 million won incentive payment per person, an average 14% wage increase, distribution of 20% of operating profit as bonuses, and the establishment of fair HR standards. Having failed to reach a compromise, the union conducted a partial strike involving around 60 members from April 28 to 30, then launched a full-scale strike from May 1 to 5 with over 2,800 participants. As a result of the strike, production of some products was halted, and the company estimated the resulting losses at 150 billion won.

Currently, the union returned to work on May 6, but is continuing an indefinite work-to-rule campaign by refusing to work overtime or on holidays. Labor and management have stated that they will continue private talks. However, significant differences remain over the compensation amount, and lawsuits over information leaks and obstruction of business are further complicating the situation.

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