Samsung union, management resume talks before 18-day strike threat

Samsung Electronics and its largest labor union return Monday to government-mediated talks in Sejong, with an 18-day strike set to begin Thursday if the two sides cannot bridge a dispute over bonuses tied to the company's AI chip profits.

The standoff at the world's largest memory chipmaker over AI semiconductor earnings threatens a prolonged work stoppage at a critical moment in the global chip supply chain — and underscores deepening mistrust between Samsung's workforce and management.

Mediation talks are scheduled for Monday at the National Labor Relations Commission office in Sejong, roughly 110 kilometers south of Seoul, according to The Korea Times. The session follows a previous round of negotiations that collapsed last Wednesday, leaving the two sides sharply divided over performance bonuses linked to earnings from Samsung's artificial intelligence-related semiconductor business.

The Korea Times reported that more than 46,000 union members have indicated willingness to join the strike, which is planned to last 18 days beginning Thursday. The dispute has intensified as Samsung navigates a memory supercycle fueled by surging global demand for AI chips.

Ahead of Monday's session, Samsung agreed to replace its chief negotiator, swapping out Kim Hyung-ro for Yeo Myung-koo at the union's request — a concession the company made to bring labor back to the table.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong on Saturday issued a public apology, expressing regret for the company's "internal" issues, The Korea Times reported. The statement was a rare acknowledgment from the top of the conglomerate that the labor unrest had reached a level demanding his personal intervention.

Union head Choi Seung-ho pushed back with a pointed response, saying "employees joined the union as their trust in the company was broken." His remarks framed the dispute not merely as a bonus calculation disagreement but as a broader breakdown in the relationship between Samsung's workforce and its leadership.

Monday's mediation session gives both sides a narrow three-day window to avert a strike that could disrupt production at the world's dominant memory chipmaker during one of the most consequential periods in the AI chip race.