Uproar in South Korea: Hyundai workers issue threats against robots

The Hyundai Motor workers' union in South Korea has warned the automaker against proceeding with the deployment of humanoid robots without its approval, arguing that such a move will trigger an "employment shock." Hyundai's plan to initiate the deployment of humanoid robots starting in 2028 sent the company's stock price to historic highs, yet it was not received positively by employees, according to an internal union letter reviewed by Reuters. "Remember that without an agreement between labor and management, not a single robot using new technology will be allowed to enter the workplace," the union stated emphatically in its letter.

Earlier this month, Hyundai Motor Group unveiled the production version of the Atlas humanoid robot, developed by its subsidiary Boston Dynamics, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The company announced its intention to build a factory with a production capacity of 30,000 robot units annually by 2028. Simultaneously, Hyundai plans to deploy humanoid robots at its factory in the United States, in the state of Georgia, starting in 2028, with the goal of gradually expanding their use across all its production units worldwide. The union accuses Hyundai of seeking to increase its profitability through the replacement of workers with robots and the shrinking of its human workforce.

Tariffs and the transfer of production to the US

The union also criticized the automaker for its efforts to transfer a portion of its production to the United States, arguing that Hyundai's new factory in Georgia is already hurting domestic production and threatening job security at two of the company's plants in South Korea. Hyundai Motor, which along with its subsidiary Kia Corp constitutes the third-largest car manufacturer globally in terms of sales, has announced that its Georgia plant will reach an annual production capacity of 500,000 vehicles by 2028 as part of its adjustment to American tariffs.

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