Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae‑yong cut short a trip to Japan to deliver his first public apology in seven years, appealing for unity and calling employees “one family” as the company’s largest labour union readies an 18‑day strike set to begin on 21 May.
Speaking at company headquarters on Saturday, Lee acknowledged tensions over pay and conditions and apologised for the ongoing dispute, saying he regretted the anxiety it had caused staff and stakeholders. He stressed that Samsung’s strength lay in its people, adding that management and workers needed to “stand together as one family” to navigate mounting global competition in the semiconductor industry.
His remarks followed the collapse of mediation between Samsung Electronics and its main union, which is demanding higher wages and improved benefits. The union has announced plans for an 18‑day walkout from 21 May, saying more than 43,000 employees have already signed up, just shy of its 50,000‑worker target. If it proceeds at that scale, the action would mark the most significant industrial disruption in the company’s history.
Analysts warn the strike could reverberate across global tech supply chains, given Samsung’s central role in memory chip production. Market research firm TrendForce estimates that a prolonged stoppage could disrupt as much as 4% of worldwide DRAM output, a key component used in smartphones, PCs and data centres. Major customers including Apple and HP have reportedly requested clarification from Samsung on how the labour action might affect deliveries and existing supply commitments.
The dispute comes at a sensitive moment for Samsung, which is investing heavily in advanced memory and foundry capacity to fend off rivals in the United States and Taiwan. Any sustained hit to production could tighten inventories, push up memory prices and complicate product planning for device makers heading into the second half of the year. Lee’s intervention signals how seriously the conglomerate views the unrest, but union leaders say they will move ahead with the strike unless management returns to the table with an improved offer.
