South Korea will consider options, including the appointment of an emergency arbitrator, to prevent a strike at Samsung

The Prime Minister of South Korea, Kim Min-seok, stated that the government will analyze all options, including appointing an emergency arbitrator, to avoid a strike by employees of Samsung Electronics, the largest employer in the country. Discussions between the company and the employees' union will resume on Monday, through a government mediator, which could reduce the risks of a strike that would significantly impact the economy. Kim emphasized that a day of strike at the semiconductor factory could generate direct losses of up to 1 trillion won (approximately 667.68 million dollars) and that a disruption of production could lead to economic damages of up to 100 trillion won. The government can initiate an emergency arbitration procedure, prohibiting union actions for 30 days, but such a measure has been rarely used in the past. Samsung accounts for 22.8% of South Korea's exports and employs over 120,000 people.