Nearly 48,000 Samsung workers in South Korea—about 38 % of the Korean workforce—plan to strike on May 21 for 18 days. The walkout follows stalled talks over bonuses, a dispute that erupted after a government‑mediated proposal was rejected by the union. Workers in the memory division, where profits soar, feel the stakes are high.

Samsung, the world’s largest DRAM maker, posted KRW 53.7 trillion ($35.63 bn) in operating profit for Q1 2026, a chunk of its KRW 57.2 bn total. The union demands removal of the 50 % bonus cap and a 15 % share of annual operating profit for workers. Samsung deems the requests excessive, warning they would undermine corporate governance and long‑term performance for both employees and shareholders in the industry.

Despite a court‑ordered injunction requiring 7,087 workers to keep facilities running, the strike proceeds. Samsung insists it will keep dialogue open but demands no strikes under any circumstances. Labor commissioner Park Soo‑keun has made mediation available, while the union cites SK Hynix bonuses as a benchmark. The outcome will shape labor policy in Korea’s tech sector for the industry and future employees worldwide today.