The tentative agreement for Samsung Electronics' 2026 wage negotiation between labor and management passed the union members' vote with an approval rate exceeding 70%. Although the prolonged labor-management conflict appears to be concluding, internal backlash over the disparity in performance bonuses remains a variable.

The union's joint bargaining team announced on the 27th that the tentative agreement was passed with 73.7% in favor (46,142 members), following the conclusion of the six-day vote at 10:00 AM. Out of 65,593 eligible voters, 62,616 participated, recording a voter turnout of 95.5%. The agreement was finalized as it met the regulatory requirements of a majority participation and a majority approval.

By union, the Samsung chapter of the Samsung Group Initial Labor Union, centered on the Semiconductor (DS) division, showed a voter turnout of 96.5%, while the National Samsung Electronics Labor Union, which has a majority of members from the Finished Products (DX) division, recorded an 89% turnout. The approval ratios were sharply divided. While 80.6% of the Initial Labor Union voted in favor, only 21.1% of the National Samsung Electronics Labor Union cast approving votes. This indicates that the vast majority of DS employees voted in favor, while a significant number of DX employees opposed it.

The agreement includes the creation of a special management performance bonus for the DS division, funded by 10.5% of the business performance. Assuming an operating profit of 300 trillion won this year, employees in the Memory Business Division within DS (based on an annual salary of 100 million won) could receive a total of around 600 million won. This includes approximately 550 million won in special management performance bonuses paid in company shares, plus an Excess Profit Performance Incentive (OPI) of 50 million won, which is capped at 50% of their annual salary. The Foundry and System LSI Business Divisions are also expected to receive compensation of around 210 million won, combining a 160 million won special management performance bonus and a 50 million won OPI. In contrast, the DX division is highly likely to receive only 6 million won worth of company shares, highlighting a stark contrast in compensation.

The industry had predicted a high likelihood of passage, considering that the majority of the Initial Labor Union members, who hold the largest voting bloc, belong to the DS division. Labor and management plan to hold a wage agreement signing ceremony in the near future. However, there are analyses suggesting that there remains room for internal conflict, as backlash regarding the fairness of performance bonuses continues, primarily within the DX division.