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Management and Legal Challenges in the Transition to Future Mobility and Strategies for Labor-Management Win-Win Cooperation - A Case Study of Hyundai Motor Company -

  • Legal Theory & Practice Review
  • Abbr : LTPR
  • 2026, 14(1), pp.337~375
  • Publisher : The Korea Society for Legal Theory and Practice Inc.
  • Research Area : Social Science > Law
  • Received : February 7, 2026
  • Accepted : February 26, 2026
  • Published : February 28, 2026

Kim, Young-kook 1

1자동차손해배상진흥원 정책연구센터 센터장

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study examines the management law challenges facing the South Korean automobile industry—with a specific focus on Hyundai Motor Company—amidst a rapid shift toward the future mobility paradigm and an unprecedented demographic crisis. From the perspective of management law, the research analyzes the labor and managerial implications of the transition to Software Defined Vehicles(SDV). The findings indicate that the SDV transition extends beyond mere technological innovation, necessitating complex solutions for job displacement, workforce restructuring, and the integration of external specialized talent. Based on the case of Hyundai Motor, this study proposes several future-oriented strategies. First, in response to the “demographic cliff” caused by low birth rates and an aging population, the adoption of robotics and automation must be redefined as a “defensive management practice” and an “urgent managerial necessity” for corporate survival rather than simple cost-cutting. Within this framework, boards of directors must fulfill their fiduciary duty(duty of care) by internalizing the “Legal by Design” principle as a core value of corporate governance and preemptively managing legal risks arising from technological transitions. Second, the paradigm of labor protection should shift from rigid “Job Security” to enhancing “Employability” through upskilling. While employers must provide substantive reskilling opportunities, a “three-stage response process”(Warning-Reassignment-Dismissal) should be established for cases where employees refuse such transitions, thereby satisfying the legal requirements for “efforts to avoid dismissal”. Third, the study advocates for a transition from traditional seniority-based pay to a job and performance-based compensation model. To overcome the limitations of uniform salary peaks, the research introduces a “Bridge Job” model that utilizes senior skilled workers as technical mentors or safety managers, promoting both intergenerational technology transfer and labor-management co-prosperity. Fourth, the study proposes the creation of a “Labor Transition Fund” through an empirical matching contribution simulation(0.5% from labor and 1% from management's automation profits). This fund aims to mitigate the shocks of industrial transition and serve as a pragmatic primer for the introduction of Corporate Basic Income(CBI) and, eventually, Universal Basic Income(UBI) in response to technological unemployment. In conclusion, this study sets a milestone for sustainable labor relations that simultaneously pursue corporate competitiveness and worker quality of life, supported by legislative measures such as the enactment of the “Special Act on Supporting Future Industry Transition (tentative)” and the public discourse on a “Robot Tax”.

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