South Korea's top conglomerate Samsung Group, known to stick with 'no-union' policy, has hinted at changing its unfriendly stance towards labor unions after key company executives were found guilty of union busting, industry observers said Thursday.

A day after Samsung Electronics Co. board chairman Lee Sang-hoon was sentenced to 18 months in prison for sabotaging a labor union, Samsung issued a public apology and promised to make a "healthy labor-management relationship."

Of the 32 indicted in the union-busting case, including current and former Samsung employees, suppliers and labor management professionals, 26 were found guilty.

"We'll make sure this kind of incident does not happen again," the conglomerate said in a statement issued a day earlier. "We humbly accept that our past views and perception of labor unions didn't meet the expectations of society and the people's perspective."

Industry observers said Samsung's latest statement signals that the conglomerate is set to change its policy on labor unions.

For some 50 years, Samsung has disallowed labor unions, claiming that its policy actually leads the conglomerate to better ensure its workers' rights and welfare.

As criticism mounted over its principle, Samsung said in its 2012 sustainability report that it recognizes the representative of employees as a management partner.

However, its main principle on union apparently remained and eventually led to conviction of key executives this year.

"Samsung's latest announcement shows that the conglomerate may radically change its labor-management culture to prevent union-busting controversy," an industry insider said who asked not to be named. "Since the union issue can hit other affiliates, Samsung's announcement is meaningful."

So far, six Samsung affiliates, including Samsung Electronics, Samsung SDI and Samsung Securities, are known to have labor unions. (Yonhap)