Samsung’s Lee Jae-Yong Apologizes Amid Union Strike Threat: What’s Next for the Tech Giant?

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With the Samsung Electronics union’s planned general strike just five days away, Chairman Lee Jae-yong publicly apologized to customers and the public. Labor and management at Samsung Electronics agreed to resume post-adjustment talks on the 18th.

On the 16th, as he arrived at the Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center (SGBAC) in Gangseo District, Seoul, Lee said, “I sincerely apologize to customers around the world for the anxiety and concern caused by internal problems at our company.” He added, “I bow my head and apologize to our citizens who always support, love and push us to do better.”

He bowed his head three times during the apology. He then said, “I will take the brunt of this harsh storm and accept full responsibility. Let’s do our best so we can once again take pride in being Samsung employees.”

Afterwards, the parties agreed to hold a second post-adjustment meeting at the Central Labor Commission (CLC) in Sejong on the morning of the 18th. The CLC chair plans to attend in person.

Earlier, from the 11th through the early hours of the 13th, Samsung Electronics’ labor and management held post-adjustment talks mediated by the CLC and engaged in marathon negotiations. The talks collapsed after the sides failed to narrow their differences over the criteria for performance bonus payments. The CLC later asked the parties on the 14th to resume talks on the 16th, but the union rejected that request and the effort fell through.

President Donald Trump said U.S. and Nigerian forces, in a joint operation, killed Islamic State deputy Abu Bilal al-Munuki.

According to Yonhap on the 16th, Trump posted on his social platform Truth Social: “Tonight, at my direction, brave U.S. and Nigerian forces flawlessly executed a highly complex, carefully planned operation to remove one of the world’s most active terrorists from the battlefield.” He announced the outcome of the mission.

Trump said Abu Bilal al-Munuki, the global No. 2 of ISIS, may have thought he could hide in Africa, but “he did not know we had sources tracking his activities.”

He added that al-Munuki can no longer threaten African civilians with terror or assist in plotting attacks that target Americans, and said his removal has “significantly reduced ISIS’s global operations.”

President Donald Trump said he is considering lifting sanctions on Chinese companies that import Iranian crude.

According to Yonhap on the 16th, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One after returning from his state visit to China on the 15th (local time) that he discussed the issue of lifting sanctions with President Xi Jinping and expects a decision within a few days.

Asked whether Xi pledged to pressure Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump replied, “I don’t ask for favors. If you ask for a favor, you have to return one.”

He added that President Xi likely wants the Strait of Hormuz reopened, noting that China obtains a significant portion of its oil from the Gulf while the United States gets none, and said, “We don’t need Gulf oil.”

Earlier, on the 11th, the U.S. Treasury designated three individuals and nine companies that supported Iranian crude exports to China for sanctions. Four of the sanctioned companies are based in Hong Kong.