Can a Hunger Strike Save Samsung? The Urgent Call from Yang Hyang-ja Amid Economic Crisis

Translation result [Herald Economy=Reporter Kim Yoo-jin] Yang Hyang-ja, the People Power Party candidate for governor of Gyeonggi Province, began an indefinite hunger strike amid the crisis over a potential strike at Samsung Electronics.

On the 18th, Yang held a press conference outside Samsung Electronics’ Pyeongtaek campus and announced her hunger strike, saying, “The survival of the Republic of Korea is more important than my election victory.”

Yang, the first woman at Samsung Electronics promoted to an executive position with only a high school education, warned that the country faces a decisive choice between its economic heart stopping or continuing to beat. She said she was at the site determined to prevent any shutdown of semiconductor production lines at all costs.

She urged labor and management to reach an immediate agreement. “If the semiconductor sector stops, South Korea’s economic growth stops,” Yang said, noting the government estimates the damage from a strike could reach 100 trillion KRW (75 billion USD).

Yang also criticized the response from government, politicians and civic groups, saying they should not simply reproach the parties and apply legalistic measures. “The government must take concrete steps to resolve this problem, and politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties must step in to broker a national-level compromise,” she said.

Sources said Samsung labor and management failed to narrow their differences over bonus payment criteria during the Central Labor Commission’s second post-adjustment session that day. The two sides have scheduled another post-adjustment session on the 19th from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.