Strong union opposition is intensifying at South Korea’s largest container shipping company as plans to relocate HMM’s headquarters from Seoul to Busan face mounting labour unrest. Major union groups have signalled potential legal action and a broad strike if the proposed move proceeds without adequate consultation and agreement with workers.
The HMM Land Workers’ Union has condemned the relocation push — seen by many in the workforce as politically driven rather than grounded in commercial strategy — and warned that it will escalate protest actions in the weeks ahead. The union argues that moving the headquarters could weaken management efficiency and disrupt employees’ lives and careers, as Seoul’s status as a major commercial hub currently provides access to talent, industry ties and global networks.
Union leaders say they are preparing legal steps to challenge any shareholder resolutions that alter the company’s articles of incorporation to permit the relocation. They have also indicated that if talks with management fail, they will pursue injunctions or other court actions to halt the process.
The union has outlined a series of escalating actions, including weekly morning rallies beginning in mid-March and a key rally on April 2 aimed at securing a general strike mandate. If efforts to protect workers’ rights are ignored, union representatives have warned that a full-scale strike could follow in April.
The relocation initiative is part of a broader government strategy to bolster Busan’s role as a maritime and logistics hub, in line with national policy to shift key marine institutions and agencies to the southeastern port city. While officials emphasise long-term competitiveness gains, the labour dispute highlights tensions over how and when such structural changes should be pursued.
With tensions rising between management, government stakeholders and the union, the coming weeks are expected to be critical in determining whether the HQ relocation move can progress without a major confrontation.