Negotiations have centered on bonus caps, distribution to loss-making units, and related terms amid the broader pay dispute.

Union leader Choi Seung-ho said talks would recess and re-seat the next day, with the union awaiting the commission to participate in the next session.

Chairman Choi indicated the union would stay on standby at the NLRC for the next mediation session, scheduled for Tuesday morning, one day before a planned general strike.

The union had pressed for a general strike, but officials hoped for an agreement as negotiations continued, with NLRC Chairman Park noting some concessions yet no final settlement.

Samsung Electronics faces an 18-day strike by nearly 48,000 workers, risking major disruption to global semiconductor supply chains as talks remain unsettled.

Industry context notes ongoing challenges at peers like TSMC, with broad supply chain concerns and advice for investors to seek professional guidance due to market risk.

Mediation leader Park Soo-geun signaled a possible voluntary agreement, mediation proposal, or government-initiated decision by around nightfall on May 19, with a mediation proposal if no deal is reached.

The wage dispute could shave roughly 0.5 percentage points off South Korea’s expected 2% GDP growth if about 30 trillion won ($19.9 billion) of chip production is affected.

As the world’s largest DRAM maker, Samsung’s potential production halt could shrink global DRAM and NAND supplies by about 3-4% and 2-3% respectively over the 18 days, likely pushing chip prices higher.

A mediator from the National Labor Relations Commission said concessions have been made on both sides, but two key issues remain unresolved with no further details disclosed.

Negotiations took place at the Government Complex Sejong over multiple days, including a late-night adjournment and a morning resumption at the same venue.

Domestically, the pay dispute has sparked wider sentiment on earnings distribution and wage equity, signaling broader implications for labor-management relations in Korea.