July 22, 2026
Production at South Korea's top automaker could grind to a halt as workers seek higher pay, bonuses and AI-related job protections
He warns of government intervention for factories with unpaid wages
“Many are burning through their savings. A lot of them don’t even have any savings,” says Prof Selim Raihan
Wage hike is set to apply retrospectively from Apr 1
“Factory authorities have paid wages and bonuses, not only for our factory but those around us as well. We can celebrate Eid happily,” a worker says
Authorities say wages at 44 factories and bonuses at 18 others will be cleared between Wednesday and Thursday
Inflation may be slowing on paper, but for millions, daily life is becoming more expensive
On a 12-month average, overall inflation in the country fell below 9 percent for the first time in November since June 2023
