The Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) chapter of the Samsung Group Cho-eop Union has demanded an official apology from Han Jin-man, president of Samsung Electronics' foundry business division. The union argued that although Samsung Electronics' management and labor reached a dramatic agreement under government mediation following a conflict over performance bonus distribution, Han's remark diminished the meaning of the compromise.
On Thursday, the Samsung Electronics union demanded an official apology for remarks Han made the same day at a foundry division briefing. The remark at issue was: "Don't go to other divisions and do irrelevant work — build your career here." The union claimed that members' motivation was severely damaged and said it had also conveyed the matter to the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
The union stated that Han's remark undermined the spirit of the labor-management agreement. The union explained that, in a recent labor-management meeting regarding special management performance bonuses for the Device Solutions (DS) division, the decision to guarantee a minimum payout rate for loss-making divisions starting in 2027 was aimed at boosting the morale of union members in the foundry and System LSI divisions. However, the union assessed that Han's words directly contradicted this intent and were remarks that dampened members' morale and motivation.
Along with an official apology from Han, the union also demanded that the company express its official position on the method of allocating labor costs for the special management performance bonus. The deadline for a reply mentioned by the union is June 17, and it also signaled that it would consider follow-up measures if the company's willingness to improve is not confirmed.
