# HD Hyundai Heavy reaches tentative wage deal to steady docks in Ulsan

*A 120,000-won base raise and an 11.5 million-won bonus ended a five-day crane protest on Oct. 23, clearing dock schedules before an Oct. 26 union ratification vote.*

**Published:** October 23, 2026  
**By:** Hyun-jung Lee  
**Section:** Shipbuilding & Defense — South Korea  
**Format:** Breaking  
**Confidence:** medium  
**Source:** https://eastasiabrief.com/shipbuilding/hd-hyundai-heavy-reaches-tentative-wage-deal-steady-docks-884  
**Publisher:** East Asia Brief (https://eastasiabrief.com/)

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## What to know

- Base pay rises 120,000 won with an 11.5 million-won bonus after a 21-day deadlock
- Kim Dong-ha ended a five-day crane protest on Oct. 23, halting seven-hour daily strikes
- Approximately 8,000 union workers hold a ratification vote on Oct. 26

![A laborer works on a vessel under construction as large cranes and ships fill an HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard. (AI-generated image)](https://eastasiabrief.com/media/2026-10-23-c088aac93c1b.webp)
*A laborer works on a vessel under construction as large cranes and ships fill an HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard. (AI-generated image)*

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and its labor union reached a second tentative collective bargaining agreement on Oct. 23, 2026, halting partial walkouts at the world's largest shipyard.

The contract provides a monthly basic pay increase of 120,000 won ($89), which includes a 55,000-won seniority increment. It also pays a lump-sum bonus of 11.5 million won ($8,530) plus 200% of contractual wages, company representatives said.

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Cite as: East Asia Brief, "HD Hyundai Heavy reaches tentative wage deal to steady docks in Ulsan," October 23, 2026. https://eastasiabrief.com/shipbuilding/hd-hyundai-heavy-reaches-tentative-wage-deal-steady-docks-884