Samsung Biologics Faces Unauthorized Internal Data Leak During Strike... Was the Author a Union Branch Head?

[Financial News] The Samsung Biologics union, which launched a strike demanding a 21.3% base pay increase and a bonus equal to 20% of operating profit, has gone too far, critics said. As the remark, "We do not care if the company suffers losses," circulates among union members, signs have also emerged that the person in charge of the dispute may have unlawfully leaked internal management-related materials.
According to industry sources on the 13th, Samsung Biologics' tax invoice records were recently edited into a PDF file and widely circulated without restraint. The file is believed to have been created by Park Jae-sung, head of the Samsung Biologics Branch of the Samsung Group Super-enterprise Labor Union, deepening the controversy. When the file's document properties were checked, the author field showed the name "Jae-sung Park," confirming Park's name.
It was also reported that if the file, which appears to have been created using Microsoft PowerPoint, is converted back into a PowerPoint file, the name of the user who accessed Samsung Biologics' internal system to review the tax invoice records also appears as Park's name.
The file contains tax invoice records submitted to Samsung Biologics' public relations-related department. Earlier, not only did the branch's strike-related newsletter circulate, but Choi Seung-ho, head of the Trans-Enterprise Labor Union Samsung Electronics Branch, also directly distributed part of it.
As the facts became known, industry criticism has mounted that the union's moral hazard has reached an extreme. An industry official criticized the union, saying, "Looking at the recent behavior of Samsung unions, it almost seems as if they are deluded into thinking they can receive bonuses even if the company collapses." The official added, "I cannot understand, by any reasonable standard, the logic of illegally leaking company management materials and stopping production to damage the company, all in order to demand larger bonuses."
Regarding the leak, Park said, "The materials are accessible to all employees, so they are not confidential, and I believe this is an area where the union can raise an issue," adding, "Whether I was the author does not seem to be a major issue."
Earlier, when the leak became known, Park reportedly told the union's group chat, "The article went up after the police contacted us," while the branch's organizing chief also said, "We have more to file complaints about. We are just not doing it," suggesting the union had no connection to the matter. Samsung Biologics has now requested an investigation into the leak from Incheon Yeonsu Police Station.
Some have also pointed out that the case is more serious because Park previously worked in an IT-related department before becoming a full-time union official. In addition, after a similar leak through unauthorized access to a shared company folder in November last year, the settlement process allowed union executives to enter the company premises by vehicle, which is believed to have increased the risk further.
An industry official expressed concern, saying, "During this strike, the Samsung Biologics union has engaged in self-destructive tactics, including actively informing clients about the strike." The official added, "Now that the union's weak security awareness has been confirmed, there is no guarantee that customers, partners, or other third parties will not suffer damage."
wonder@fnnews.com Jung Sang-hee Reporter