Why Samsung Workers Demand 15% Profit Share: Insights from the Massive 40,000-Strong Rally

Translation result The Samsung Electronics labor union held a massive rally of about 40,000 people on the 23rd, demanding performance bonuses equal to 15% of operating profit. At the event, members displayed overt hostility by laying large photos of Chairman Lee Jae-yong and other executives on the ground and walking over them.

The protest, held in front of the Pyeongtaek plant in Gyeonggi Province, was staged in strong response to stalled negotiations with management that have dragged on since late last year, and to press for a fair compensation system. Police and the union both estimated attendance at roughly 40,000 members.

At the rally, union chief Choi Seung-ho said, “The performance bonus system remains opaque, and management is trying to deflect responsibility with one-off payments. We will not stop fighting until our demands are met, and if talks fail, we will launch a general strike beginning May 21.”

The rally also included harsh insults and mocking performances directed at executives. The union placed oversized photos of Chairman Lee Jae-yong, DS Division head Jeon Young-hyun, and DX Division head Roh Tae-moon on the ground. Each image carried derisive nicknames — rendered as transliterations and translations — such as “Jjaejjae-yong” (a derogatory pun on Lee’s name), “Emperor Jeon,” and “No/Tae-moon” (a mocking play on Roh’s name); members expressed their anger by stepping on the photos as they marched.

In another area of the rally, protesters prompted attendees to throw objects at a banner printed with executives’ faces to make holes in it, and displayed a sign reading, “Leave it here.”

After Samsung Electronics released provisional first-quarter results, analysts projected annual operating profit of about 300 trillion KRW (approximately 225 billion USD). The union’s demand for semiconductor workers’ bonuses could reach as much as 45 trillion KRW (approximately 33.75 billion USD). The union says it will mount an 18-day general strike from May 21 through June 7 if no agreement is reached.

The union also warned that, given Samsung’s expected annual operating profit of about 300 trillion KRW, a strike that halted production could cost roughly 1 trillion KRW (approximately 750 million USD) per day.

Industry voices cautioned, however, that an actual general strike could produce consequences far beyond production delays: the disruption could trigger major safety incidents and casualties, cause massive losses from equipment damage and material waste, and significantly dent global semiconductor supply.