Samsung Electronics Co. executives, including CEO Jun Young-hyun, met with leaders of the company’s largest labor union in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, to revive stalled wage negotiations after government-mediated talks failed. The meeting comes as the union threatens an 18-day strike starting May 21, prompting a 8.6% drop in Samsung's shares due to investor concerns about potential disruptions at the world's largest memory chipmaker. The union is advocating for an increase in performance-based compensation, requesting 15% of operating profit be allocated to worker bonuses and the removal of a cap on bonuses. In contrast, Samsung has proposed a 10% allocation along with a special compensation package exceeding industry standards. The union's demands arise from a significant rebound in semiconductor earnings, driven by increasing demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure. Samsung's management has stated that the union's requests may be challenging to sustain long-term. The outreach from Samsung indicates a desire to engage in dialogue, with both sides open to resuming negotiations if progress can be made on core issues.