{"id":122286,"date":"2026-03-13T22:23:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-14T01:23:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ces.einnews.com\/article\/899281879"},"modified":"2026-03-13T22:23:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T01:23:20","slug":"hyundai-workers-residents-in-ulsan-fear-impact-of-robots-arrival-at-us-factories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/03\/13\/hyundai-workers-residents-in-ulsan-fear-impact-of-robots-arrival-at-us-factories\/","title":{"rendered":"Hyundai workers, residents in Ulsan fear impact of robots’ arrival at US factories"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Joo<\/p>\n
\n

Joo Jung-hee, owner of a local diner near the main gate of Hyundai Motor in Buk-gu, Ulsan, cleans her restaurant on March 3. Korea Times photo by Choi Ju-yeon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cWe weren\u2019t even shaken during COVID. It somehow just passed us by,\u201d said Joo Jung-hee, an 80-year-old restaurant owner. \u201cThat\u2019s because of the factory workers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Running a small restaurant in Ulsan, a city whose economy revolves around six major Hyundai Motor factories, Joo has rarely worried about sales. Even with pain-relief patches on hands darkened by age spots, she still smiles at the sight of customers streaming in each day, metimes swallowing a handful of painkillers before returning to work.<\/p>\n

Inside the modest 82-square-meter restaurant, ten steel tables fill quickly at lunchtime. Factory workers tired of cafeteria food come for Joo\u2019s pollack stew or ft tofu up, and the place turns into mething like a neighborhood living room. Over the years serving out food, she now knows when the next seasonal promotion is. <\/p>\n

Restaurants nearby have changed owners several times in the past year alone. But Joo has held on to her spot, which sits directly across from the factory gates for three decades.<\/p>\n

For her, Ulsan was the city that made it possible to raise three sons. She arrived alone at 17 from the foothills of Songnisan in North Chungcheong Province after hearing that in Ulsan there were always jobs and always something to do. In those years the city carried a simple promise: work hard enough, and anyone could become middle class. <\/p>\n

\"Atlas<\/p>\n
\n

Atlas humanoid robot moves inside Hyundai Motor Group\u2019s exhibition booth during the Consumer Electronics Show 2026 in Las Vegas. Yonhap<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

After decades in the business, bad news rarely unsettles her. But something she heard two months ago made her pause \u2014 that human-shaped robots may soon enter the factory floor.<\/p>\n

She stopped for a moment before speaking.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf robots go into the factory, of course it will hurt us,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople have to be around to eat. If there are only robots, who\u2019s going to come for lunch?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her words carry a simple truth. Robots are unlikely to order fermented soybean stew or drink soju with coworkers after a shift. A pandemic can pass. But a factory filled with machines instead of people may be a change that cannot easily be reversed.<\/p>\n

Joo knows how closely her business follows the rhythm of the plant. Nine out of ten customers come from the factory, and on days when production lines stop, she prepares far less stew and fewer side dishes. <\/p>\n

\"Customers<\/p>\n
\n

Customers fill a diner near the main gate of Hyundai Motor in Buk-gu, Ulsan, on March 3. Korea Times photo by Choi Ju-yeon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Across northern Ulsan, where the city\u2019s factories are concentrated, the same unease is spreading.<\/p>\n

\u201cRobots don\u2019t ride taxis or rent one-room apartments,\u201d said a taxi driver met in Ulsan. \u201cIf people disappear, Ulsan\u2019s economy will collapse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Six Hyundai Motor factories employing about 40,000 workers are clustered in Yangjeong-dong, the neighborhood where Joo\u2019s restaurant is located. <\/p>\n

\"Workers<\/p>\n
\n

Workers leave Hyundai Motor\u2019s Ulsan Plant No. 4 after finishing their shifts on March 3. Korea Times photo by Choi Ju-yeon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Robots threaten the hands of 30-year veterans<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the news came out that Hyundai Motor planned to deploy Atlas at its U.S. factories by 2028, the reaction among colleagues was strange. The idea was that human workers would be reduced, and the stock price went up. We didn\u2019t know whether to laugh or cry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Park Tae-gyun, 52, a full-time worker in Hyundai Motor, still remembers the mood on the factory floor when Atlas was unveiled in January at CES 2026, the world\u2019s largest consumer electronics and information technology trade show.<\/p>\n

The humanoid robot, equipped with 56 joints, lifted a box and twisted its waist nearly 180 degrees before placing it behind its back. It looked a lot more efficient and stronger than human workers who suffer chronic pain in the back, shoulders and wrist.<\/p>\n

What Park felt was not awe, but a chill.<\/p>\n

Park is well connected around the company and usually in the loop about workplace developments. But he first learned through the news that the company plans to deploy the robots at overseas factories within two years.<\/p>\n

Even the labor union knew little about the plan. The company had never explained it.<\/p>\n

A colleague sitting next to Park, Yoon Han-sup, 59, added: <\/p>\n

“When we were eating in the cafeteria, they kept showing videos on the screens of robots doing backflips or robot dogs running around,\u201d he said. \u201cI remember thinking, \u2018Why are they playing that?\u2019 But looking back, it felt like they were trying to get us used to the idea. So, when I heard about Atlas, I thought, \u2018Well, I guess what was coming has finally arrived.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

When the humanlike robot appeared, unease spread across the factory floor. For now, the company says it will be introduced at a plant in the United States, but workers believe it could eventually arrive in Korea as well.<\/p>\n

What exactly the robot might be able to do inside the factory remained unclear. Standing about 190 centimeters tall and weighing 90 kilograms, it can lift loads of up to 50 kilograms and move at roughly twice the walking speed of an adult.<\/p>\n

Still, after nearly three decades working with machines and grease, Park felt he could guess the answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll probably be able to do just about anything.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"From<\/p>\n
\n

From left, hands of Joo Jung-hee, a diner owner in Ulsan, a Hyundai Motor factory worker in Ulsan, and the humanoid robot Atlas \/ Korea Times photo by Kang Ji-soo and courtesy of Boston Dynamics<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

For many workers, the only thing they still trust is their hands.<\/p>\n

Park Min-gu (a pseudonym), 58, who assembles shock absorbers on the factory line, looked down at his own \u2014 thick and bent from decades of labor. The Korean term workers use is \u201cshoba,\u201d a suspension part that absorbs impact when a car travels on rough roads.<\/p>\n

After 35 years of heavy work, the experience and sweat of the job seem embedded in the tips of his fingers. The tactile sense built over years on the line is something even the most advanced robot may struggle to replicate.<\/p>\n

Yoon allowed himself a small note of hope.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hardest stage in building a car is the final assembly,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s when workers connect the wiring and install things like the seats and dashboard onto the painted body. In the end, it\u2019s work done with human fingers.<\/p>\n

\u201cTightening small bolts or snapping connectors into place \u2014 plugging bundles of wires into parts inside the body \u2014 may look simple, but it takes delicate hand skills and a certain feel.<\/p>\n

\u201cYears ago, the factory once brought in part-time workers on weekends to keep up with production. Back then, a saying went around: \u2018Customers don\u2019t buy cars made on Saturdays.\u2019 You have to apply just the right amount of pressure when tightening bolts, and the temporary workers didn\u2019t have that sense.<\/p>\n

\u201cOther stages like body assembly have already become highly automated. But in final assembly, there\u2019s still a lot of work that people have to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n
\n

A view of the production line for the Santa Fe, Tucson and Avante at Hyundai Motor\u2019s Ulsan Plant No. 2 in Ulsan, South Korea \/ Yonhap<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

But even then, workers are well aware even value of human hands will not last forever.<\/p>\n

Jung Sung-yong, 54, who works on a production line assembling the midsize SUV Hyundai Santa Fe, recalled the shock he felt during a visit to the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were converting what humans feel into pressure data and storing it,\u201d he said. \u201cIt looked like they were analyzing exactly how much force is needed to fasten each part, then feeding those numbers into robots.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIn the end, there may be nothing left that only humans can do,\u201d he said. \u201cEventually it will become a fully automated factory where only robots are moving.\u201d<\/p>\n

The idea of a fully unmanned factory is not simply the anxious imagination of workers.<\/p>\n

Hyundai Motor has reportedly discussed a project known as \u201cDF247,\u201d an initiative envisioning a plant that runs continuously without human presence. The concept involves a so-called \u201cdark factory,\u201d where robots operate production lines around the clock, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without even turning on the lights.<\/p>\n

Hyundai Motor said the DF247 project does not mean a fully unmanned factory. Instead, the company said its goal is an autonomously operated plant where people and automation technologies work together. <\/p>\n

Robots to debut at non-union U.S. plant, contract workers likely hit first <\/strong><\/p>\n

Public opinion is not favorable towards factory workers. Some say they are simply digging their heels.<\/p>\n

One line from the union\u2019s stance, albeit wrongly framed, has stuck in many people\u2019s minds: \u201cNot a single Atlas robot should be allowed onto the factory floor.\u201d <\/p>\n

Criticisms arose that the labor union is being too greedy and acting selfishly against innovation when they themselves are a \u201cprivileged union,\u201d many earning more than 100 million won (around $68,000).<\/p>\n

Some employees at subcontractors even cynically say labor union members often demand molds be redesigned because small parts, such as trunk latch components, are inconvenient to handle, but with robots, such won\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n

Factory workers voice frustration, saying things aren\u2019t that simple.<\/p>\n

Behind the anger lies a deeper anxiety. For workers, the issue is a matter of livelihood, yet the company has offered little explanation about what is happening.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one knew Atlas was going to be introduced until we heard about it in the news. Even now, nobody knows exactly which processes it will handle or how workers\u2019 roles will change,\u201d said Park, his face set.<\/p>\n

The collective bargaining agreement between Hyundai Motor and the union states that both sides must hold discussions and reach a joint decision when new technology is introduced. It also calls for the formation of an Employment Stability Committee to develop measures to safeguard jobs, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe labor union opposing the deployment of Atlas without labor-management agreement is a sensical argument. We\u2019re not trying to start a Luddite movement.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"Trucks<\/p>\n
\n

Trucks move in and out of the main gate of Hyundai Motor\u2019s Ulsan Plant No. 4 on March 3. Korea Times photo by Choi Ju-yeon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Robots are set to be deployed at Hyundai Motor\u2019s new plant in Georgia in the United States, where there is no union likely to oppose their introduction. But workers in Korea are likely to feel the impact soon as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy pay could be cut right away,\u201d said Kim Chang-sup (a pseudonym), 37, a full-time employee at the company.<\/p>\n

According to Kim, production at Ulsan No.1 has already been shipped off to plants in the U.S. by a significant amount. When robots are adopted, it is likely that even more volume will be done there.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe live on overtime pay. Our wages work more like hourly pay than fixed monthly salary. Less volume means less pay, but company is not offering any alternatives.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the labor union, about 40 percent of Hyundai Motor employee\u2019s salary is variable compensation, including bonuses and overtime or weekend work allowances.<\/p>\n

Ironically, full-time workers are in a relatively better position, said Yoon. They are likely to be the last to feel the impact of robots, as workers outside the union are expected to be pushed out first.<\/p>\n

\u201cContract workers will be affected first. Then it will spread to suppliers and parts makers. The people who have quietly worked in the most vulnerable jobs will suffer the most.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said there are roughly 55,000 technical jobs within the company, though Hyundai Motor says the number is closer to 30,000. Of those, about 40,000 are full-time positions. The rest are contract workers or retirees rehired on short-term contracts, typically renewed each year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ll be out of the factory once the company decides not to renew their contracts,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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… Group\u00e2\u0080\u0099s exhibition booth during the Consumer Electronics Show<\/span> 2026 in Las Vegas. Yonhap … in January at CES<\/span> 2026, the world\u00e2\u0080\u0099s largest consumer electronics<\/span> and information technology …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122286","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122286"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122286\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}