The labor dispute erupted after Hyundai unveiled Atlas, a 6-foot-2 industrial robot that it plans to deploy in its Georgia factory by 2028|@BostonDynamics|X
Hyundai’s 40,000-member South Korean auto union initiated a partial strike this week, marking the car industry’s first factory stoppage over humanoid robots.
The dispute began after Hyundai unveiled Atlas, a 6-foot-2 industrial robot developed by Boston Dynamics, which the company plans to deploy at its Georgia factory by 2028.
A South Korean government institute estimates that each Atlas robot costs about $130,000 and can recover its cost within two years.
The union fears rapid automation will lead to widespread job losses, workforce restructuring, and fewer working hours as robots take on more factory tasks.
South Korea has the world’s highest per capita rate of industrial robot adoption, according to the International Federation of Robotics, exceeding the global average by more than six times.
The current strike halts four hours of daily work, threatening the production of 5,000 vehicles and a sales cut of about $134 million.
To protect jobs, the union demands a fixed salary rather than hourly pay, a five-year extension of the retirement age to 65, and larger bonuses.
The work stoppage reflects wider anxieties. GM recently laid off nearly 1,000 workers while deploying dozens of “cobots” at its Detroit site.