GoKawiilMembers of the Samsung Electronics labour union hold signs reading "Change it to be transparent!" as they stage a mass rally demanding the removal of a cap on performance bonuses, outside the company's foundry and semiconductor factory in Pyeongtaek on April 23, 2026. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images)
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday called for both labor and management rights to be respected as an 18-day strike at Samsung Electronics looms.
Lee, posting on X in Korean, said "labor must be respected as much as business, and corporate management rights must be respected as much as labor rights."
"Excess is not beneficial; extremes lead to reversal," he added, according to a CNBC translation of his statement.
Lee's remarks are the latest in a chorus of statements from government officials urging Samsung Electronics and its workers' union to reach an agreement before a planned strike set to begin on May 21.
A final round of talks between the union and Samsung's management was scheduled for Monday.
The union's demands center on Samsung's performance-based bonus system. It is seeking performance bonuses equivalent to 15% of Samsung's operating profit, the removal of bonus payout caps, and a formalized bonus structure, among other measures.
Samsung's management has offered to allocate 10% of operating profit to bonuses and provide a one-time special compensation package, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.
Shares of Samsung Electronics jumped as much as 6.65% on Monday before paring gains to around 3%.