Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong said on the 16th, "Now is the time to wisely pool our strength and move in one direction."
Speaking upon his arrival at the Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center (SGBAC) in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, that afternoon, Lee said, "To our union members and Samsung family, we are one body and one family." He added, "I will take the harsh wind and rain upon myself and accept all the blame. Let us do our best so that we can take pride in being Samsung people."
"I sincerely apologize to customers around the world for the anxiety and concern caused by our internal company issues," he said. "I bow my head in apology to the people of Korea, who have always supported, loved, and offered constructive criticism to Samsung."
He continued, "Lastly, I would like to thank the government and officials who are working hard to resolve our issues. I once again bow my head to our customers and the public to apologize for causing concern."
It is the first public apology from Lee in six years, since 2020. After reading from his prepared remarks, Lee left the venue.
Lee reportedly cut short an overseas business trip and rushed back to Korea ahead of the planned union strike.
The Samsung Electronics Joint Labor Union Strike Committee plans to stage an 18-day general strike from the 21st through the 7th of next month. As of recently, more than 46,000 union members have indicated they will join the strike, and the union said up to 50,000 members are expected to participate.
