Speaking to reporters as he entered the meeting room after a break, Park commented on the ongoing difficulties in reaching a consensus, saying, "The two most important issues have not been narrowed down."
The Central Labor Relations Commission has been conducting the second day of negotiations for Samsung Electronics since 10 a.m. at the government complex in Sejong. The meetings are closed to the public.
During the break, Park indicated that a proposal might be forthcoming, saying, "It should come out. It’s still uncertain, but there is a possibility this evening." He added that there has been some progress in narrowing the differences between the two sides and that negotiations on distribution rates by sector are ongoing.
Choi Seung-ho, chairman of the Samsung Electronics Union's joint action headquarters, who had not made any statements before entering the meeting, expressed his commitment to creating a proposal that would satisfy union members. When asked if they were maintaining their stance on institutionalizing performance bonuses, he replied, "Yes," before entering the meeting room without further comments.
Lee Myung-gu, head of the People Team for Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions (DS) division, stated before the meeting, "We will do our best until the end," before proceeding into the meeting.
Samsung Electronics and its labor union began the second round of negotiations at the request of Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon. In the previous day's meeting, both sides outlined their positions and engaged in discussions on key issues, including the criteria and caps for performance bonuses.
The Central Labor Relations Commission plans to listen to both sides and find common ground to prepare a mediation proposal. However, if the meetings extend, they may continue until May 20. The first round of negotiations held on May 11-12 also concluded in the early hours of May 13.
The government has indicated it may invoke emergency mediation rights if a strike at Samsung Electronics materializes. The union has announced that a strike could begin on May 21.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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