Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon (Yonhap) Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon is expected to meet Samsung Electronics executives as early as Saturday, as the government steps up efforts to prevent the company’s largest union from launching an 18-day strike next week.According to industry sources Friday, Kim is likely to sit down with Samsung management to seek a last-minute breakthrough in stalled wage talks.The planned meeting would follow Kim's meeting earlier in the day with Choi Seung-ho, head of Samsung Electronics' largest labor union.Kim is expected to deliver the union’s demands to management and urge the two sides to return to the bargaining table before the planned walkout begins.The union has asked Kim to help reopen negotiations with conditions. It wants Samsung to replace its chief negotiator, Vice President Kim Hyung-ro, and show what it called a “substantive change” in its position.Union officials have taken issue with remarks Kim allegedly made during negotiations, including a comment that Samsung Electronics’ operating profit this year would reach 200 trillion won ($134 billion). The union argues the remark showed a lack of understanding of the semiconductor business.The main dispute is over performance-based pay.The union is demanding that Samsung set aside a fixed 15 percent of operating profit for bonuses and remove the cap on payouts.Samsung has rejected a fixed formula. The company wants to keep the existing system, while allowing uncapped special rewards when needed.With neither side budging, the talks have remained deadlocked.The union plans to go on strike from May 21 through June 7. It expects up to 50,000 members to participate.A walkout of that scale would be closely watched across the chip industry, where even short disruptions can affect production schedules and customer commitments.Some industry observers have warned that direct and indirect losses could reach 100 trillion won if the strike disrupts Samsung’s semiconductor operations.