On 2026-08-31, the Korean Metal Workers' Union Hyundai Motor branch held a ratification vote among Hyundai Motor's 39,638 union members; 31,166 voted and 19,183 approved, giving a 78.63% turnout and 61.55% approval rate, and the branch announced the result on 2026-09-01. ^[1] The ratified Hyundai Motor wage agreement, reached on 2026-08-25 and approved on 2026-08-31, gives union members a monthly base salary increase of 100,000 Korean won (including grade-step raises), a performance bonus of 400% plus 12.7 million won, 15 Hyundai Motor shares, 500,000 won in welfare points, and a 200,000 won increase in summer vacation allowance. ^[2] Hyundai Motor reported its lowest monthly sales volume in four years due to production stoppages caused by worker strikes at its South Korean plants. ^[3] Hyundai Motor's South Korean labor union approved a tentative wage agreement with the automaker on Tuesday, ending the current year's pay negotiations. ^[4] As part of the 2026 wage deal, Hyundai Motor plans to hire 500 technical workers, with 200 in the second half of 2027 and 300 in 2028. ^[5] The Hyundai Motor union staged strikes totaling 60 hours over 15 sessions from 2026-08-13 to 2026-08-21, including an eight-hour full strike on 2026-08-21 - the first since 2016 - which halted morning and afternoon production shifts for 120 hours. ^[6] Analysts estimate the production disruptions cost Hyundai at least 2.3 trillion won in lost profit. ^[7] Global vehicle deliveries for Hyundai fell by 14 percent in August compared to the same period the previous year, with total sales reaching 288,574 units. ^[8] The domestic market experienced the sharpest decline, dropping by 41 percent, while the company representative noted that such low results have not been seen since the beginning of 2022. ^[9] Approximately 61.55 percent of participating union members voted in favor of the agreement, according to Hyundai Motor. ^[10] The final agreement includes a base salary increase of 4.1 percent plus a performance bonus equivalent to 400 percent of base pay. ^[11] The union initially demanded a raise in bonuses to 800 percent of the monthly base salary, up from 750 percent, and sought guarantees to protect jobs from AI and automation. ^[12]