This archive report was first published on 19 December 2019.
Published on December 19, 2019, Samsung Electronics, the world's biggest smartphone and chipmaker, has issued a rare apology after its chairman was jailed for 18 months for sabotaging union activities.
Chairman Lee Sang-hoon and executive vice president Kang Kyung-hoon were found guilty of violating labour union laws, with prosecutors saying they had ordered subordinates to cut union members' wages and discover and exploit details of their personal lives.
The Samsung group, a family-controlled conglomerate, has a history of fighting against union representation. However, local authorities in Suwon, where it is headquartered, certified the National Samsung Electronics Union last month, affiliated to a powerful umbrella group.
Lee and Kang were members of the now-disbanded Future Strategy Office, the key decision-making body of Samsung Electronics. The firm has acknowledged its errors and pledged to ensure no repetition, adding that it will endeavour to build a forward-looking and productive labour management relationship based on respect for its employees.
The apology comes after Samsung's founder Lee Byung-chul, who died in 1987, was adamant in his opposition to unions, saying he would never allow them until he had dirt over his eyes.
