Hyundai union sees humanoid robots as jobs threat

Hyundai’s labour union has warned the South Korean automaker against deploying humanoid robots without union approval, stating the technology would bring “employment shocks” to the workforce. The organisation warned in a 22 January statement that “not a single robot can be deployed at worksites without an agreement between the union and management”.

Hyundai unveiled its ambitious robotics plans at CES 2026, which includes deploying Boston Dynamics’ Atlas humanoid robots to HMG Metaplant America by 2028, identifying the technology as a major growth engine. The automaker stated that the robots would focus primarily on repetitive and dangerous tasks generally avoided by humans, improving overall labour efficiency without necessarily displacing workers.

The union criticised management’s rationale, arguing that mass production and deployment of robots represents an obvious cost-cutting strategy benefiting stakeholders seeking profit maximisation and nothing else. Annual maintenance costs for Atlas units are estimated at KRW 14m (US$9,500), substantially less than equivalent human labour expenses in Korea. 

The organisation also condemned plans to expand Metaplant America’s annual capacity from below 100,000 vehicles to over 500,000 by 2028, interpreting the move as intention to relocate domestic production overseas. In March 2025, Hyundai announced US$21bn in planned US investments—raising the sum to US$25bn in August—to help mitigate the impact of US tariffs and curry favour with the Trump administration. It should be noted the automaker pledged US$86bn in Korean investments the same year. 

Hyundai plans to manufacture 30,000 humanoid robots annually by 2028 with a target price below US$320,000, leveraging automotive manufacturing expertise to facilitate mass production. The production-ready Atlas features 56 degrees of freedom with many joints capable of 360-degree rotation, tactile sensing for handling delicate parts, and hot-swappable batteries that allow continuous operation in four-hour shifts.