Hyundai Plans to Deploy 30,000 Humanoid Robots to Counter Tariff Pressure, Sparking Strong Union Opposition in Korea

To counter declining profits caused by U.S. tariffs on automobiles, Hyundai Motor Group plans to deploy over 30,000 Atlas humanoid robots—developed by Boston Dynamics—in its U.S. factories starting in 2026, aiming to reduce production costs and boost efficiency. While this move could alleviate pressure on its North American operations—which suffered tariff-related losses of up to 7 trillion won in 2025, with costs expected to rise further—it has triggered strong backlash from South Korean labor unions. Unions fear that large-scale robot adoption will threaten domestic jobs and have explicitly stated that new robotic equipment will be barred from entering workplaces without a labor-management agreement. Meanwhile, Hyundai is accelerating its transformation into a “mobility and robotics company,” a strategy that has drawn positive responses from capital markets, briefly propelling its market value above that of General Motors. However, striking a balance between technological advancement and workforce employment remains a critical challenge on its path to transformation.