Samsung Electronics labor-management talks dramatically resume... Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon steps in directly
- Input
- 2026-05-20 16:09:15
- Updated
- 2026-05-20 16:09:15
At 4 p.m. that day, Samsung Electronics and the union began voluntary negotiations at the Gyeonggi District Employment and Labor Office in Suwon-si, Gyeonggi Province, under Kim's chairmanship.
Earlier, the two sides had held three days of second post-mediation meetings from the 18th through that day, but failed to find common ground and the talks broke down. Although Chairman Park personally presented a mediation proposal, the process collapsed as the two sides could not narrow their differences over issues such as compensation for loss-making business units. However, they were said to have narrowed their gap on matters including the funding basis and allocation ratio for the performance-based bonus known as OPI.
Attention is now focused on whether the renewed dialogue before the general strike can lead to a final agreement.
The chief negotiators remain the same as in the second post-mediation session. On the management side, Yeo Myeong-gu, head of Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions Division People Team, is attending, while on the union side, Choi Seung-ho, chairman of the Samsung Electronics Branch of the supra-company union, is serving as the representative negotiator.
Kim, who had been in behind-the-scenes contact with both sides to arrange the second post-mediation session, is also taking part in the talks.
The resumed negotiations will proceed as voluntary talks between labor and management. Kim is expected to play a supporting role in the process.
A ministry official explained, "This is not a post-mediation procedure by the National Labor Relations Commission, but negotiations between the labor and management parties themselves," adding, "The labor minister is expected to play a supporting role."
jhyuk@fnnews.com Kim Jun-hyeok Reporter