Hyundai Motor Company has disputed reports that its plans to deploy humanoid robots by 2028 are driving partial strikes by South Korean autoworkers, stating that union negotiations are focused on compensation issues like wages, bonuses, and retirement age. However, the Wall Street Journal has reported that the union is seeking unprecedented job protections against automation and AI, and the union has previously warned that no robots will enter the workplace without a labor-management agreement. The dispute reflects a broader wave of labor negotiations over automation in South Korea, spurred by a new law that requires large-scale automation decisions to be subject to collective bargaining.
