"The Dirty Legacy of Clean Tech: Samsung’s Record of Negligence, Secrecy, and Labor Strife in Việt Nam and Abroad", 8 January 2026

…, the UN Human Rights Council’s Special Procedures issued Joint Allegation Letters (JAL) to Samsung Electronics and the governments of South Korea and Việt Nam. The letters allege that Samsung, the flagship of South Korean industry, engaged in "irresponsible chemicals management" and environmental pollution at its facilities in Việt Nam, which may violate fundamental rights to health, safe water, and a clean environment.

While the Samsung PR machinery issues neutered and cherry-picked reports featuring verdant landscapes and promises of a “sustainable future,” the UN correspondence presents a drastically different picture—one of untreated wastewater, toxic fumes, and a corporate culture that skirts environmental regulations and workers’ rights.

… By 2022, Samsung had become the largest foreign investor in Việt Nam, employing 100,000 people and producing half of its global mobile phone supply…

UN reports indicate that Samsung’s Bắc Ninh factory operated without a proper toxic wastewater treatment system from 2010 to 2013. During this time, industrial chemicals and raw sewage reportedly overflowed into the environment while subcontractors dumped materials into local waters. While Samsung revolutionized the smartphone market, its operations in Việt Nam caused significant environmental harm.

The pollution also affected the air. Between 2010 and 2017, the Bắc Ninh factory reportedly used an undersized air pollution control facility. Instead of reducing production to match the facility's capacity, the company allegedly removed filters and activated carbon, venting toxic dust directly into the air. Nearby residents described the odors as "torture" and reported chronic illnesses…

In May 2024, a whistleblower using the pseudonym Kang, a former Samsung safety manager, revealed that the company exploited the absence of a Pollutant Release and Transfer Registry (PRTR) in Việt Nam. While Samsung is legally required to report over 400 pollutant and hazardous substances in South Korea, it took advantage of the lack of mandatory transparency in Việt Nam to obscure its emissions. Consequently, the company continues to employ practices in Việt Nam that would be illegal on its home turf.

… Samsung’s corporate literature depicts a reality that is fundamentally at odds with the findings of NGOs and UN experts. The company’s 2025 Sustainability Report flaunts a "New Environmental Strategy" focused on net zero emissions and resource circularity. They claim that 93.4% of energy consumption in the Device eXperience (DX) division has transitioned to renewable energy and that they are strictly complying with environmental laws.

However, the inconsistencies between Samsung’s public relations rhetoric and other accessible information are quite clear. While claiming to respect human rights and the right to collective bargaining in their policy documents, Samsung has reportedly lobbied against the ratification of ILO Convention No. 87 by Việt Nam, which guarantees the freedom of association, arguing that multiple unions would lead to instability…