Samsung's Device Solutions union suspended its planned 18‑day strike after a fresh round of talks steered by South Korea's labor minister. Negotiators produced a tentative agreement, and union members will cast ballots between May 22 and May 27 to accept or reject it. It would have been the biggest strike.

Under the draft deal Samsung will allocate a special bonus equal to 10.5% of operating profits to its chip division, abolish the existing bonus cap and tie future payouts to profit performance. The division would also claim 40% of the overall bonus pool on top of that bonus. Union leaders had pushed for a 15% profit share for years as demanded.

Prime Minister Kim Min‑seok estimated an 18‑day walkout would have erased about KRW 1 trillion (roughly $660 million) in direct losses. Samsung accounts for 22.8% of Korea's exports and 26% of its market capitalization, meaning any labor disruption reverberates through the national economy. The upcoming vote will decide whether the concessions keep the chip sector humming.