The leadership of the Samsung Group supra-enterprise union's Samsung Electronics chapter (supra-enterprise union), which is pressing ahead with an all-out strike at Samsung Electronics, continues to face controversy over crude remarks.
According to the industry on the 19th, Chairperson Choi Seung-ho of the supra-enterprise union posted and then deleted a message in the union chat room right after the second post-mediation meeting held the previous day at the Central Labor Relations Commission (CLRC) in the Government Sejong Complex, saying, "When (the current situation) wraps up, let's consider separating the union," and "The National Samsung Electronics Labor Union (Jeonsamno) and the Samsung Electronics Labor Union Together (Donghaeng) are going too far. To be honest, I can't stand doing DX (finished goods)." Afterward, Choi tried to contain the backlash by writing in another members' chat room, "I'm sorry for wrongly posting a lament to the leadership."
From the outset, the supra-enterprise union, Jeonsamno, and Donghaeng formed a joint struggle headquarters and planned steps such as entering an all-out strike together. Donghaeng announced on the 4th that it was leaving the joint struggle headquarters, citing a "lack of communication." Also the previous day, Jeonsamno and Donghaeng's leadership held a picket protest in front of the CLRC bargaining room where the second post-mediation meeting was taking place, demanding, "Clearly reflect the voices of the 50,000 employees in the DX institutional sector."
On the 17th, remarks by Vice Chairperson Lee Song-yi of the supra-enterprise union also stirred controversy. In a Telegram chat room with members, Lee posted messages to the effect that "We should just get rid of Samsung Electronics" and "I deliver this with a readiness for a spinoff." The hard-line comments came after Prime Minister Kim Min-seok mentioned the possibility of invoking emergency arbitration power in connection with the Samsung Electronics strike.
In a conversation with some members asking about the intent behind mentioning a "spinoff," the vice chairperson continued with remarks such as "I want to land a straight punch on the company," "If you want, I'll become a thug," and "If they send me to jail, I'll read books and work out." As the controversy grew, the vice chairperson clarified that the intent was not to eliminate the corporations themselves but to correct practices that discourage union activities.
◇ After DX protest came "considering separating the union"… Criticism that "they balked when management mentioned separation"
Inside the company, Choi's comment about separating the union is being criticized as a "double standard," as it conflicts with the supra-enterprise union's previous position.
On Mar. 12, the supra-enterprise union filed for relief from unfair labor practices, claiming that management negotiators made remarks to the effect of "separating the semiconductor union." At the time, the supra-enterprise union argued that management should stop applying different bargaining conditions or inducing such behavior on the premise of separating the DS and DX institutional sectors. Yet barely two months later, Chairperson Choi personally mentioned "considering a union separation," appearing to change course. An employee at Samsung Electronics said, "It is inappropriate to resist management's attempts at separation and then, when internal problems grow, bring up separation oneself, showing a double standard."
There is also criticism that Choi's double stance has fueled union-versus-union conflict. The "Legal Response Alliance to Restore Samsung Electronics Employees' Rights," composed of five DX institutional sector members, filed for an injunction to "suspend 2026 wage and collective bargaining" against the supra-enterprise union with the Suwon District Court on the 15th through the law firm Nova. Choi's "disregard for DX" has thus escalated into a legal dispute.
◇ Controversy over pressuring nonparticipants in the strike… Even allegations of a blacklist
Chairperson Choi has also continued remarks effectively forcing participation in the strike. In a YouTube live broadcast in March, Choi said, "If there are those working for the company, we will manage a list and later, for forced transfers or dismissals that require consultation with the union, we will guide that these people be prioritized." On the 27th of last month, Choi also wrote in a statement titled "As we conclude the Apr. 23 struggle rally," "If even in the upcoming all-out strike you ultimately take the side of management and hinder your colleagues' dedication, it will be hard to see you as colleagues any longer," drawing controversy.
The supra-enterprise union also faces so-called "blacklist" allegations that it compiled and managed a list of nonmembers. Samsung Electronics found that some employees abused the employee number duplication check function on the union sign-up site to verify whether certain executives or employees had joined the union. Believing that a list showing personal information such as department name, full name, and employee number had been circulated, the company filed a complaint on the 9th of last month with the Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station in Gyeonggi Province for alleged violations of the Personal Information Protection Act. Some speculate that, since the supra-enterprise union had previously made remarks suggesting disadvantages for those not joining the strike, it could be connected to the creation of this list.
◇ Overseas vacation ahead of an all-out strike… Releasing audio of a closed-door mediation meeting also stirs controversy
The supra-enterprise union leadership's moral laxity has also come under fire. Chairperson Choi left for a weeklong vacation in Thailand right after holding a large rally at the Pyeongtaek semiconductor business site on Apr. 23. When a hard-line statement targeting nonparticipants in the strike was posted on the union homepage during the vacation, criticism also emerged within the union to the effect that "while demanding sacrifice from members, the leadership is stoking conflict from a resort."
Choi's decision to release to the outside a recording of conversations from a closed-door government mediation meeting is also being criticized. The supra-enterprise union held the first round of post-mediation between labor and management on the 12th, mediated by the CLRC. On the 15th, after declaring the breakdown of talks, Choi disclosed to the media and members the conversation with a mediation commissioner who was trying to narrow the gap between labor and management. In the industry, some interpreted this as the Samsung Electronics union not taking seriously the government's efforts to coordinate differences and avert a strike.
Some see the absence of a delegates' council as the structural reason behind these controversies. Since its launch in January 2023, the supra-enterprise union has not operated a delegates' system. Authority over bargaining, discipline, and budget execution is concentrated in a small leadership group. Although the membership has grown to around 70,000, the lack of a delegates' council makes it hard to check the leadership internally, leading to various controversies such as disregard for DX and expulsion of members.
The creation of position allowances is also being interpreted as a problem stemming from this mode of operation of the supra-enterprise union. At a general meeting in March, the supra-enterprise union established a rule to allocate 5% of monthly dues as position allowances for the leadership and then held a vote. Some members criticized the inclusion of the leadership allowance item alongside the strike action vote, saying, "They slipped in a separate matter—the allowance rule—so it could pass along with the strike vote."
Under Article 48 of the revised supra-enterprise union bylaws, the chairperson may allocate up to 10% of union dues as position allowances for executives and personnel affiliated with departments and chapters. If the number of executive staff is eight or fewer, up to 5% may be allocated. Assuming 70,000 members pay 10,000 won in monthly dues, the monthly dues total about 700 million won. Of that, 5%, or 35 million won, could be set aside as the source for position allowances. Considering that even including the auditor (one person), the number of leadership personnel receiving the allowance is six, each person could receive an average of 5.8 million to 7 million won per month. The supra-enterprise union leadership are designated "time-off" (paid union activity time) recipients who receive company salaries, yet the rules allow them to receive additional allowances from union dues, which is being flagged as a problem.