South Korea: Samsung Electronics board chairman Lee Sang-hoon jailed for anti-union activity

On Wednesday 18 December, South-Korean electronics giant, Samsung Electronics apologized for the actions of its leaders. The day before, its chairman Lee Sang-hoon, along with his vice-president Kang Kyung-hoon, were sentenced to 18 months in prison for sabotaging labor union activities and thwarting unionization. Their sentences were delivered for having violated several labor laws and thwarting efforts for unions to establish a presence in the company, and especially within the customer service division. Domestic press reports indicated that the chairman was guilty of having ordered his subordinates to cut the pay of those looking to unionize, and to check into their private lives so as to glean potentially useful information that could exert pressure on them, such as debt levels, pregnancies etc. At the time of the events the chairman was the company’s chief financial officer. A total of 24 senior Samsung leaders have been sentenced. A famous anti-union fortress, the electronic giant had until recently explicitly stated its anti-union credentials, but things are now changing. Local authorities at Suwon, Samsung’s home base, have recognized the establishment of the first viable trade union presence ever in the company. This union is affiliated to the nation’s largest trade union federation the FKTU (c.f. article No. 11439). In a press statement the company admits, “The company acknowledges that its view and perception of trade unions in the past didn’t meet expectations of the general public and society.”