President Lee Jae Myung said Monday that corporate management rights should be respected as much as labor rights, in remarks that appeared to be aimed at easing tensions ahead of a possible strike at Samsung Electronics.
Though he did not mention Samsung or its union directly, Lee's comments came as the company and union representatives prepared for what could be their final round of talks before a planned strike later this week.
In a post on X, Lee said South Korea’s liberal democratic and market economic system requires respect for both labor and business rights.
“Workers should be able to receive fair compensation for their labor, while shareholders who invested while bearing risks and losses also have a rightful share in corporate profits,” he said.
Lee stressed the importance of solidarity and shared responsibility, saying the direction of the country’s future should be “a society where everyone lives well together.”
The remarks came ahead of a second round of labor-management talks scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday at the National Labor Relations Commission in Sejong, in a last-minute attempt to avert a general strike planned for Thursday.
Samsung Electronics has faced a looming general strike from its union over wage increases and the company’s performance-based bonus system, with workers demanding broader profit-sharing measures and changes to compensation structures.
The standoff has intensified as the company has reported stronger earnings and a sharp rise in its share price, supported by the global semiconductor boom and growing demand for artificial intelligence chips.
Amid growing concerns over the potential economic fallout, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok warned Sunday that the government could invoke emergency arbitration measures.
“If a situation arises in which a strike is expected to cause enormous damage to the national economy, the government cannot help but consider all available response measures, including emergency adjustments, to protect the national economy,” Kim said in a public address.
Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung highlighted Samsung Electronics’ economic significance, noting that the company’s sales accounted for about 12.5 percent of South Korea’s gross domestic product and that around 4.6 million Koreans hold Samsung shares.
“Samsung Electronics is an extremely important company with around 1,700 partner firms,” Kang said during a press briefing Sunday afternoon, adding that the presidential office hopes labor and management can resolve the issue through dialogue, given the potentially significant ripple effects of a strike.
She said the government and presidential office would provide “maximum support” to help both sides reach an agreement without a strike.
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