Koo Yoon-chul: "A Strike at Samsung Electronics Must Never Happen... Government Will Fully Support Principled Negotiations"

Koo Yoon-chul, Deputy Prime Minister for Economy and Minister of Economy and Finance, urged both labor and management at Samsung Electronics to reach an agreement, stating, "A strike at Samsung Electronics must never happen."

On May 13, through X (formerly Twitter), Deputy Prime Minister Koo expressed deep regret that the labor-management negotiations at Samsung Electronics had failed to reach a resolution even after government-mediated follow-up arbitration. He added, "The government will provide full support to ensure that the issue is resolved through principled negotiations under any circumstances."

He wrote, "Samsung Electronics is a globally significant company. Both labor and management must continue working toward principled negotiations, taking into account the current management situation and its impact on the national economy."

At a press briefing held on May 11, Deputy Prime Minister Koo commented on Samsung Electronics' record-breaking excess profits, saying, "While the efforts of Samsung's internal management have been considerable, if we look more broadly, partner companies may have contributed as well, and there have been efforts by the government to provide infrastructure such as power transmission and distribution investments and power plants, as well as efforts by local governments." He once again urged, "I ask both labor and management to make a wise decision."

Government-mediated follow-up arbitration between labor and management at Samsung Electronics, conducted through the Central Labor Relations Commission, ultimately broke down after 17 hours of discussions that lasted until 3 a.m. today. While the union has clearly stated its intention to launch a general strike on May 21, it also left open the possibility of further talks, saying, "If the company brings forward a more advanced proposal, we are willing to discuss it."