South Korea Presidential Office Says Time Remains for Samsung Talks, Backs Dialogue

South Korea’s presidential office said it will continue to support talks between Samsung Electronics Co. and its labor union after a government mediation process ended without a deal. With Samsung’s biggest union planning an all-out strike from May 21, the government signaled it is focused on further negotiations rather than invoking emergency arbitration.

Kang Yu-jung, senior presidential spokesperson, told a May 13 briefing that the government would actively support efforts to help labor and management resolve the dispute through dialogue.

She struck a cautious tone on calls for the government to invoke emergency arbitration after the mediation process collapsed.

“There is still time before the strike begins,” Kang said. “Although this round of mediation has ended, time remains, and we will support labor and management so they can resolve the issue through dialogue.”

Asked directly about the possibility of emergency arbitration, she said only that there was still time left for labor-management talks.

Earlier on May 13, Choi Seung-ho, head of the Samsung Electronics chapter of the National Samsung Electronics Labor Union, the company’s largest union, declared the talks had broken down after the mediation meeting ended.

Following the collapse of the mediation process, the union plans to begin an 18-day general strike on May 21. If the dispute leads to an actual walkout, concerns are set to rise over production disruptions and the broader impact on industry.

Still, the presidential office left open the possibility of further negotiations before any strike begins by signaling support for continued dialogue rather than moving toward emergency arbitration. For now, the government appears set to watch voluntary bargaining between labor and management and assess whether there is room to mediate.

Hong Min-seong, Hankyung.com reporter mshong@hankyung.com