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Korea HeraldJUN 2024
South Korea: Samsung Electronics Union Calls First-Ever Strike
Above: The Samsung logo at the Samsung company office on Feb. 5, 2024 in Seoul, South Korea. Image copyright: Chung Sung-Jun/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Samsung Electronics has long been regarded as one of the world's best employers. Employees have often praised it for a range of things, from talent development to work-life balance. The chipmaker has consistently improved its working environment and corporate culture, fostering high employee satisfaction. The current strike must be viewed in this context and deemed a temporary blip.
Narrative B
Beyond the global fawning over Samsung Electronics' supposed showering of largesse over its workers lies a dark reality: The company's workers face challenging conditions, as reflected in the death of an employee in Vietnam in 2016, which raised concerns about overwork and toxic exposure. The workers striking now in South Korea indeed have legitimate concerns.