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AMCHAM
warns Samsung strike could undermine Korea's long-term competitiveness
By Michael Lee, Korea JoongAng Daily - The
American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) warned Monday that a strike at
Samsung Electronics would disrupt global semiconductor supply chains and
undermine Korea's long-term investment competitiveness.
The warning comes as concerns mount over
a planned general strike on May 21 at Samsung, one of the world’s largest
memory chipmakers and a critical supplier to multinational companies reliant on
stable semiconductor production in Korea.
The chamber expressed concern that
collective action at the chipmaker could affect industries far beyond Korea,
given the company’s central role in producing memory semiconductors used in AI
infrastructure, cloud computing, automotive technologies and advanced
manufacturing.
AMCHAM said disruptions at Samsung could
place an additional strain on the global memory chip market, potentially
worsening supply bottlenecks, procurement uncertainty and price volatility at a
time of rapidly growing demand for AI-related computing capacity.
Many of the chamber’s member companies —
spanning sectors such as AI, cloud infrastructure, automotive manufacturing,
industrial technology and energy — depend heavily on semiconductor supply
chains centered in Korea, according to the organization.
“In today’s interconnected global
economy, disruptions in strategically important industries can create ripple
effects extending well beyond a single company or market,” AMCHAM said.
The chamber also warned that prolonged
uncertainty in export-driven sectors could weaken confidence in Korea as a
reliable global manufacturing and technology partner, while accelerating supply
chain diversification efforts among multinational firms seeking to reduce
concentration risk.
“Competing regional manufacturing
markets could benefit if concerns over predictability and continuity persist,” AMCHAM
said.
The comments come against the backdrop
of what the chamber described as growing concerns over Korea’s business
environment.
In AMCHAM’s recently released 2026
Business Environment Survey, Korea ranked third as a preferred regional
headquarters destination in Asia, behind Singapore and Hong Kong.
Korea’s slide to third place came after
the country passed the so-called "Yellow Envelope" law, which
prevents companies from seeking damages resulting from strikes by workers who
engage in collective action.
AMCHAM said labor instability in
strategic sectors such as semiconductors could further influence how foreign
firms assess Korea’s long-term business environment.
“In our ongoing dialogue with member
companies and global business leaders, we continue to hear growing emphasis on
supply chain resilience, operational continuity and long-term business
predictability across the region,” said AMCHAM CEO James Kim.
He said Korea retains “tremendous
strengths,” including advanced manufacturing capabilities, technological
leadership and a highly skilled work force, but stressed that maintaining “a
stable and predictable business environment aligned with global standards”
would be essential to preserving the country’s competitiveness as a regional
investment hub.
AMCHAM said it hopes all parties
involved in the dispute will continue engaging in constructive dialogue to
reach “a balanced and forward-looking resolution” that supports Korea’s
long-term competitiveness and supply chain reliability.
