Overview
- A government-led mediation session set for Monday will bring Samsung Electronics and its largest union back to the table three days before a planned May 21–June 7 walkout.
- The core fight centers on performance bonuses, with the union pressing for 15% of semiconductor operating profit and no cap, while management offers a 10% formula or EVA-based payout plus special compensation.
- Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said the government could invoke emergency arbitration, a rarely used tool that pauses strikes for 30 days, as officials warn losses could reach up to 100 trillion won in a prolonged stoppage.
- Samsung has begun factory “warm-down” steps that cut new wafer input and shift lines toward high-value chips, a precaution because chipmaking runs for weeks without pauses and halted wafers often must be scrapped.
- Investor worry has already hit the stock, with shares dropping about 8–9% in Seoul on Friday as fears grew over supply risks at the world’s largest memory chipmaker.