![Buk-gu District Mayor Lee Dong-kwon (fifth from left) and Ulsan Buk-gu Council Speaker Lee Jin-bok (sixth from left), along with council members, hold a press conference at the Ulsan Buk-gu District Office briefing room Thursday, urging Hyundai Motor to reach a wage agreement. [Ulsan Buk-gu District Office]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/08/20/news-p.v1.20260820.e06db1fefba14f07b48b9fd6d9ab20d3_P1.jpg)
Amid a partial strike by the Korean Metal Workers' Union's Hyundai Motor chapter at South Korea's largest automaker, Buk-gu District Mayor Lee Dong-kwon, Buk-gu Council Speaker Lee Jin-bok and council members held a press conference Thursday at the Ulsan Buk-gu District Office briefing room, urging Hyundai Motor's labor and management to reach a swift wage agreement.
The press conference came as production disruptions at Hyundai Motor have been weighing heavily on parts suppliers, nearby businesses and local consumer spending.
"Both the company and workers face significant challenges and concerns during this transition in the auto industry, but many residents are worried about the impact that prolonged wage negotiations will have on the local economy," Lee said. "We urge both sides to find common ground quickly and turn this into an opportunity for Ulsan's auto industry to prepare for a new leap forward."
The Hyundai Motor union staged 44 hours of partial strikes from July 13 through Aug. 14, and has announced four-hour daily partial strikes Wednesday through Thursday this week and Monday through Tuesday next week. The union has also announced a full eight-hour strike on Friday — the first full work stoppage in 10 years since collective bargaining in 2016.
In this year's negotiations, Hyundai Motor's labor and management remain sharply divided over a 50 percent bonus increase, an extension of the retirement age, and the reinstatement of union members dismissed for illegal activities during union work, along with the withdrawal of damage claims and provisional seizures.
cityblue@heraldcorp.com
