Sustainability in Supply Chain > Supplier Due Diligence and Capacity Building

Third-Party Audit

We conduct third-party audits annually on the top 90% of our suppliers selected based on annual transaction amounts and some high-risk suppliers. Initial audits are conducted by RBA-certified third-party audit firms, in accordance with Samsung Electronics’ Supplier Code of Conduct based on RBA criteria and processes*. Any improvements that can be made immediately after initial audits are corrected on site, and the implementation of improvements is confirmed through closure audits. The top 90% of suppliers selected based on annual transaction amounts are conducted every three-year, and among high-risk suppliers those with actual/potential impacts related to human rights, such as forced labor, are conducted immediately upon finding any related issues.

* Document review (employee salary information, contracts, policies, etc.), Worker/manager interview (more than the square root of the total employee number), On-site audit (initial audit, closure audit), and improvements

In 2024, Samsung Electronics conducted third-party audits for 90 first-tier suppliers and 33 second-tier suppliers.

A total of 1,914 workers participated in employee interviews. To enhance transparency and encourage workers to express their opinions freely, off-site interviews were introduced for select suppliers starting in 2024.

These off-site interviews were conducted with 29 workers from nine first-tier suppliers and three workers from two second-tier suppliers in countries such as South Korea, Vietnam, and Mexico. To address potential safety and security concerns associated with off-site meetings, interviews were held in locations near the workplace, such as parks and coffee shops.

Suppliers understood the purpose of the external interviews and actively cooperated, while interviewed workers provided positive feedback on the new process. Some workers noted no significant difference compared to interviews conducted in designated spaces within company premises, while others expressed slight concerns about the impact on their working hours due to travel.

We will continue incorporating off-site worker interviews into third-party audits. If these interviews prove effective in identifying critical risks by capturing a broader range of worker perspectives compared to on-site interviews, we will consider expanding their targets to further enhance audit transparency.

Compliance Rate by Category*
  • Labor and human rights
  • Health and safety
  • Environment
  • Ethics
  • Management system
A graph illustrating the compliance rate by category. A graph illustrating the compliance rate by category.
2022: Labor and Human Rights 97%, Health and Safety 96%, Environment 98%, Ethics 99%, Management System 96% 2023 (First-tier Suppliers): Labor and Human Rights 95%, Health and Safety 98%, Environment 99%, Ethics 99%, Management System 99% 2023 (Second-tier Suppliers): Labor and Human Rights 90%, Health and Safety 98%, Environment 99%, Ethics 100%, Management System 98% 2024 (First-tier Suppliers): Labor and Human Rights 96%, Health and Safety 98%, Environment 98%, Ethics 99%, Management System 96% 2024 (Second-tier Suppliers): Labor and Human Rights 92%, Health and Safety 94%, Environment 97%, Ethics 95%, Management System 82%

*Post-closure-audit compliance rate (%)

Compliance Rate by Major Items Audited by a Third-Party
Last updated June 27, 2025