Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, reads a statement at the Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center (SGBAC) upon his return to Korea on the 16th, after completing his overseas business trip. [Yonhap News]

Chairman Lee Jae-yong of Samsung Electronics appealed to the union to unite in heart and mind as the company's second-ever general strike approaches.

He bowed his head in apology to the public for the "internal issues" that have caused concern.

Upon entering the country through the Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center (SGBAC) in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 16th, Chairman Lee said, "To the labor union members and the entire Samsung family, we are one body, one family," and added, "Now is the time to wisely pool our strength and move forward in one direction."

He emphasized, "I will face the harsh winds and storms, and I will take all the blame," and stated, "Let's do our best to ensure we can once again be proud to be Samsung employees."

Chairman Lee continued, "I sincerely apologize to our global customers for the anxiety and concern caused by our internal issues," and declared, "I bow my head in apology to the citizens who always support, love, and encourage us."

He added, "Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to the government and related officials who are working hard to resolve our issues," and further stated, "I once again bow my head to our customers and the public to express my apologies for causing worry."

Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, bows his head in apology at the Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center (SGBAC) upon his return to Korea on the 16th, after completing his overseas business trip. [Yonhap News]

Chairman Lee then left after reading from a prepared statement.

He bowed his head three times while delivering his apology.

It is understood that Chairman Lee changed his schedule during his overseas trip to return to Korea on this day, ahead of the union's strike.

This is the third public apology by Chairman Lee for issues including the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in June 2015 and labor union and management succession issues in May 2020. The previous two apologies were made when he was a Vice Chairman, and this is the first since he assumed the role of Chairman in October 2022.

Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, gets into a vehicle upon his return to Korea via the Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center on the 16th, after completing his overseas business trip. [Yonhap News]

The joint struggle headquarters of the Samsung Electronics labor union plans to go on a general strike for 18 days from the 21st to the 7th of next month, demanding transparency in performance bonuses, abolition of bonus caps, and institutionalization of bonus systems.

As of recently, over 46,000 union members have expressed their intention to participate in the strike, and the union claims that up to 50,000 members will join the strike.

Amidst the breakdown of mediation attempts, including government-led post-adjustment, the Samsung Electronics management requested further dialogue, and Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon met with the union. However, the union insists that the replacement of the company's chief negotiator and a change in the company's stance on key demands such as institutionalization of performance bonuses and abolition of bonus caps must precede further dialogue.

Minister Kim met with Samsung Electronics executives on this day, following his meeting with the union leadership the previous day. He explained the content of his discussions with the union and the government's position, urging the management to actively engage in dialogue.