Samsung Electronics workers rally for bonus system overhaul, threaten strike if demands unmet
Published: 23 Apr. 2026, 16:45
Updated: 23 Apr. 2026, 19:16
![Members of Samsung Electronics-affiliated labor unions call on the company to scrap a longstanding cap on bonuses during a massive rally inside the company's campus in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, on April 23. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/04/23/1adc7fde-9003-4a7e-807c-7e0fa639b480.jpg)
Members of Samsung Electronics-affiliated labor unions call on the company to scrap a longstanding cap on bonuses during a massive rally inside the company's campus in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, on April 23. [YONHAP]
Tens of thousands of Samsung Electronics workers held a rally at the company's sprawling campus in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, on Thursday, calling for an overhaul of the firm's bonus system and warning of a strike if talks with management fail.
The rally, organized by a coalition of the company’s labor unions, took up an eight-lane road inside the campus, where crowds stretched for hundreds of meters under the midday sun.
Union members carried placards reading “Be transparent, abolish the cap,” a reference to their demand to overhaul how performance bonuses are calculated.
“An acquaintance of mine at SK hynix said he’s buying a 1.5 billion won [$1.1 million] home now,” said one protester surnamed Lee, referring to the other Korean chip giant with which Samsung Electronics’ bonus payouts are often compared.
“We need to improve our bonus system, too. I’ve never seen this many people gather at the Pyeongtaek campus. It’s overwhelming,” the protester added.
The demonstration was notable for its strong turnout among younger employees, many in their 20s and 30s, with far fewer participants concealing their identities than at typical labor rallies.
Some sat under roadside trees to escape the heat, while others lined up to receive vests, placards and pamphlets as organizers struggled to keep up with demand.
![Members of Samsung Electronics-affiliated labor unions listen to a speech at a rally inside the company's campus in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, on April 23. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/04/23/cfba3a21-dadc-4b1d-bb6a-258e36011e20.jpg)
Members of Samsung Electronics-affiliated labor unions listen to a speech at a rally inside the company's campus in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, on April 23. [YONHAP]
At the heart of the dispute between labor and management at Samsung Electronics is the company’s performance-based bonus system. The union is demanding that Samsung scrap the current cap on individual bonuses, which is set at 50 percent of a worker’s annual salary, and instead allocate 15 percent of operating profit to bonuses.
Based on market expectations that Samsung’s operating profit could reach 300 trillion won this year, that would translate into a bonus pool of roughly 45 trillion won.
Union leaders accused the company’s management of undervaluing workers’ contributions as the rally got underway around 2 p.m.
“The company claims it is in crisis every year. Even now, as it aims to be No. 1 in the world, it warns us not to be complacent,” said Choi Seung-ho, head of a Samsung Electronics Labor Union. “But it was you, the union members — not management — who raised our semiconductor business to the top by manufacturing, improving processes and staying up all night to raise yields.”
He noted that “if production stops for 18 days due to a strike next month, that will lead to a gap of nearly 18 trillion won. That is our value in numbers,” Choi added.
![Members of Samsung Electronics-affiliated labor unions hold up placards calling on the company to scrap a longstanding cap on bonuses during a massive rally inside the company's campus in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, on April 23. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/04/23/a98812e1-d858-4058-940d-e7e11987b711.jpg)
Members of Samsung Electronics-affiliated labor unions hold up placards calling on the company to scrap a longstanding cap on bonuses during a massive rally inside the company's campus in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, on April 23. [YONHAP]
Rank-and-file workers also echoed frustration over what they see as a widening compensation gap between themselves and employees at rivals such as SK hynix.
“Last year, our bonuses were about four times lower than those at SK hynix, and it looks like the gap will widen further this year. That’s why I decided to join the protest,” said a third-year engineer surnamed Hong in Samsung’s Device Solutions division. “I’m glad more people showed up than I expected,” he said.
Another engineer, surnamed Shim, said it was “unreasonable” that they should get “less than half of the bonuses given out to workers at competing companies” when Samsung Electronics is not performing poorly.
“Even when bonuses were zero, we trusted the company and endured. Investing in people is also an investment,” he argued.
Samsung had earlier proposed offering special bonuses that could exceed the existing cap if its semiconductor division secures the top position among domestic manufacturers, but talks broke down as unions continued to demand a full removal of the cap.
Police estimated that around 34,000 people attended Thursday’s rally, while unions put the figure closer to 40,000. The union coalition said it would launch an 18-day strike from May 21 to June 7 if an agreement is not reached.
However, not all voices at the scene were supportive. Some workers on the sidelines expressed unease over the demands.
“Honestly, I don’t like it. From the perspective of people like us who live day to day, it just sounds like complaints from people who already have enough,” said Shin, a 53-year-old construction worker involved in building the company’s semiconductor plants.
“No one is saying a word about improving the working conditions of subcontractors or shared growth. They’re just asking for more money, which leaves a bitter taste in my mouth,” he said.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY YI WOO-LIM,LEE YOUNG-KEUN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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