"30 Trillion Won Loss" Warning from Samsung Electronics Union... Chairman on Vacation in Southeast Asia

\r[The Financial News] Samsung Electronics is facing the largest strike threat in its history, and the chairman of the union leading the walkout has reportedly left for a vacation in Southeast Asia.
\rAccording to industry sources on the 28th, Choi Seung-ho, who leads the Samsung Electronics Branch of the Super-Enterprise Union, is said to have recently taken about a week off and traveled to Southeast Asia. The union is Samsung Electronics' only majority union, with about 74,000 members, and serves as a key pillar of the joint strike headquarters.
The union held a large-scale rally on the 23rd to approve a strike. About 40,000 people attended the gathering, according to police estimates, and Choi stressed the union's resolve by citing potential losses of up to 30 trillion won.
However, with the chairman's overseas departure becoming known less than a month before a general strike, criticism is also emerging inside the company that the move was inappropriate. Some are questioning whether a leadership vacuum has opened at a critical moment when negotiations with management and efforts to rally members are especially important.
On online communities used by Samsung Electronics employees, reactions have included comments such as, "It is disappointing that he took a long vacation at a time when he should be at the center of strike preparations," and "He should have moved after wrapping up negotiations with the company or clarifying the direction first."
A post Choi uploaded to the union website has also fueled the controversy. He said, "It is hard to see those who stand on management's side in a general strike as colleagues," but the post was reportedly written while he was staying overseas, raising questions about its credibility.
Samsung Electronics' union is currently demanding performance bonuses worth about 45 trillion won, or roughly 15% of annual operating profit, and plans to launch an 18-day general strike starting May 21. Based on the semiconductor division, that would amount to about 600 million won per person, exceeding Samsung Electronics' 2023 research and development investment of 37.7 trillion won.
Meanwhile, the government is also closely watching the situation. Kim Jeong-kwan, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), recently said, "If the semiconductor industry loses competitiveness, recovery becomes very difficult," and added, "A strike in this situation is concerning."
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moving@fnnews.com Lee Dong-hyeok Reporter