Shareholder group files complaints against minister and CEOs

A Korea Shareholders Movement Headquarters filed complaints alleging that bonuses linked to operating profits should not be negotiated through labor talks, accusing Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon and Samsung Electronics and SK hynix executives of abuse of authority, obstruction, and breach of fiduciary duties. The group contends that profit-sharing bonuses are not wages and should require shareholder approval, not labor negotiations or forced settlements mediated by the government. They argue the minister improperly intervened to help broker a May wage agreement just before a planned strike, effectively using labor leverage to push a settlement. Complaints were lodged with both the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and the National Office of Investigation, criticizing the executives for creating a mechanism to siphon corporate assets via predetermined bonus distributions. The broader point across the filings is that governance and fiduciary duties were compromised by tying compensation to profits without proper oversight or legitimate labor dispute grounds.