[Why&Next] Atlas Stalled by Labor Union... Optimus Already Deployed

Hyundai Motor Faces Intensifying Labor-Management Conflict Over "Job Invasion"
Musk Accelerates Humanoid Robot Commercialization... Sales Planned for End of Next Year

At the CES 2026 Hyundai Motor Group exhibition hall, the humanoid robot Atlas is demonstrating the task of moving automotive parts. Photo by Paek Jongmin, Tech Specialist

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has announced plans to commercialize humanoid robots by the end of next year, accelerating efforts to bring them to market. However, in South Korea, the Hyundai Motor labor union has declared that the deployment of robots constitutes "job encroachment" and has vowed to block their introduction, igniting a full-scale labor-management conflict over the adoption of this technology.

On January 22 (local time), during a conversation with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, CEO Musk stated that Tesla's humanoid robot Optimus "is already performing simple tasks at factories" and added, "By the end of this year, it will expand to more complex industrial tasks." He further explained, "As early as the end of next year, once sufficient safety and reliability are ensured, we will be able to sell them to general consumers."

CEO Musk also predicted, "Assuming robots are extremely safe, it will be natural for them to care for children, look after pets, and support the elderly in the future," and forecasted, "A time will come when the number of humanoid robots surpasses that of humans."

Tesla's humanoid robot Optimus. YouTube capture

He asserted, "Future economic output will no longer be determined by labor hours or population growth," adding, "The upper limit of the economy will be defined by multiplying the average productivity per robot by the total number of robots." He diagnosed, "When we reach that stage, it will be hard to even imagine what more could be desired, as such abundance will be possible." CEO Musk argued, "Abundance is impossible in a structure where only a few work and the majority are left out," and insisted, "Only when artificial intelligence (AI) and robots replace human labor can goods and services become universally accessible."

However, CEO Musk's vision of "robot-driven abundance" is immediately sparking concerns over job security in South Korean manufacturing sites. As Hyundai Motor's "Atlas," which drew attention for its technological completeness at the CES 2026, reaches the stage of actual production line deployment, the Hyundai Motor labor union has strongly opposed the move, declaring, "Not a single robot without an agreement."

The union has expressed its sense of crisis by directly comparing labor costs. They argued, "Based on an average annual salary of 100 million won, the labor cost for three workers operating 24 hours a day amounts to 300 million won per year, whereas for robots, only maintenance costs are incurred after the initial purchase." They criticized, "In the long run, robots will serve as a convenient justification for capitalists seeking to maximize profits."

According to industry and securities sources, Atlas is estimated to cost about 200 million won per unit, with annual maintenance costs of around 14 million won. Considering the average annual salary of production workers, the investment can be recouped within two years. In particular, the fact that the robot can operate 24 hours a day, even in extreme environments, while carrying up to 50 kilograms, is perceived as a threat to job security through restructuring of the labor system.

While CEO Musk points to electricity supply as the biggest bottleneck for robot proliferation and suggests space infrastructure as an alternative, South Korea's industrial sector faces a more immediate and realistic barrier in the form of labor-management conflict over robots. As Hyundai Motor aims to establish a mass production system for 30,000 robots by 2028, if a consensus on job retention and work transitions cannot be reached, severe labor-management clashes appear inevitable.