"Hyundai Motor's Ulsan plant grinds to a halt… first-ever strike over 'humanoid robot'", 15 July 2026

Hyundai Motor's union has gone on strike for the first time ever in opposition to the introduction of humanoid robots.

The Hyundai Motor union announced that it began a partial strike on the 15th.. The strike began after the union opposed management's plan to deploy the humanoid robot "Atlas" on the production line.

This marks the world's first case in the automotive industry of plant operations being halted over the introduction of humanoid robots.

The union is maintaining a firm stance, stating that "Atlas cannot take a single step onto the production line without workers' prior consent."

The strike has brought some of Hyundai Motor's production lines to a halt, making disruption to vehicle production unavoidable.

Asked about this, a Hyundai Motor official told a separate media [S-Journal] in a phone call on the 13th that "this is a matter that labour and management have agreed to jointly research and discuss," adding that "no decision has been made on the matter, which is still under discussion."