Hyundai Workers Approve Strike Over Humanoid Robot Deployment

Union members at Hyundai’s South Korean factories voted to authorize a strike in response to the company’s plan to introduce humanoid robots, such as Boston Dynamics’ Atlas, on production lines. The workers demand a formal role in decisions about automation, arguing that the robots could threaten jobs despite Hyundai’s claim they will only handle repetitive and hazardous tasks.

The dispute marks the first major automotive labor conflict focused specifically on humanoid robots. Hyundai acquired Boston Dynamics in 2021 for roughly $880 million, giving the automaker direct control over the robot‑building platform and intensifying the bargaining over how quickly and where the machines will be deployed.

If negotiations fail, the union has the mandate to call a work stoppage, raising broader questions about automation, worker protections and the future of manufacturing in South Korea’s auto sector.