On May 21, relevant departments reported that Minister Kim began mediating the negotiations between Samsung Electronics and its labor union at 4 p.m. the previous day. Following the failure of the second post-adjustment meeting earlier that morning, the likelihood of an unprecedented strike at Samsung Electronics increased, prompting Kim to lead both parties back to the negotiation table, ultimately resulting in a tentative agreement.
During the first post-adjustment meeting, which took place from May 11 to 13, the union declared a breakdown in negotiations. However, Kim persuaded both sides to resume talks during meetings on May 15 and 16, where he reportedly shared his past experiences in labor movements to build rapport with the union.
Throughout the two rounds of post-adjustment meetings, Kim remained at the government complex in Sejong, engaging in behind-the-scenes discussions with both parties. After the second post-adjustment meeting failed, Park Soo-geun remarked, "There were many opposing views, but Minister Kim helped us, and many people contributed to making progress."
After the breakdown of the post-adjustment talks, Kim facilitated further negotiations. While en route to the Gyeonggi Employment and Labor Office, he posted on social media, "Hope blooms in despair. It’s not over until it’s over." Following six hours of negotiations, he successfully mediated a tentative agreement, preventing a potential 0.5 percentage point drop in the country's GDP due to a strike.
While Kim supported the negotiations behind the scenes, Park took an active role as a mediator, working to narrow the gap between the two sides during marathon meetings that lasted three days and included various proposals.
This collaborative effort allowed both parties to find common ground, leading to the creation of a tentative agreement. After the agreement was reached, Minister Kim stated, "Chairman Park played a significant role in narrowing the gaps, and I believe he contributed greatly to resolving the remaining issues."
The mediation by labor authorities is seen as having prevented a deterioration in labor-management relations. The business community expressed concerns that, given Samsung Electronics' significant role in the economy, a strike could have necessitated the activation of emergency mediation powers.
Conversely, labor representatives maintained that discussions about activating emergency mediation powers, which limit fundamental rights, were inappropriate. As the government hinted at the possibility of invoking these powers, the labor-management relationship was on the brink of crisis, but mediation successfully averted this outcome.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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