On the 20th, the presidential office said it was "very regretful" that Samsung Electronics labor and management failed to reach an agreement following the National Labor Relations Commission's post-mediation result. Kang Yu-jung, the senior presidential spokesperson, expressed regret over the breakdown in mediation that day and said, "Even before the final deadline, we ask that you do your utmost until the end to reach a labor-management agreement, taking into account concerns about the impact on the Korean economy." The government's position is that, if an actual strike takes place, it will mobilize every measure, including invoking the emergency adjustment authority.
With the breakdown of the labor-management agreement, the supra-enterprise labor union Samsung Electronics branch said it will launch a general strike as scheduled starting on the 21st. Choi Seung-ho, Chairperson of the Samsung Electronics branch, released a statement that day, saying, "The labor union will lawfully begin a general strike tomorrow as planned," and "We make it clear that we will not stop efforts to reach a settlement even during the strike period."
He added, "Once again, the labor union 'agreed' to the mediation plan proposed by the National Labor Relations Commission." Samsung Electronics labor and management have been at odds over the criteria for paying performance bonuses and the abolition of the cap. The union demanded that 15% of operating profit be used as the pool for performance bonuses and that the cap set at 50% of annual salary be removed. The general strike period the union has announced runs from the 21st to July 7.