SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — A recent study has revealed that widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) on Jeju Island would halve the number of car repair and maintenance workers on the island.
According to a report released by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, if EV adoption becomes more widespread in Jeju, the number of car repair and maintenance workers on the island would drop from 2,500 this year to 1,320 in 2030, with the number of workers employed at gas stations falling from 1,052 to 985 during the same period.
More than 40 percent of fuel retail companies and more than 35 percent of repair and maintenance companies on the island said that gas stations and charging stations would see their business operations threatened within the next five to 10 years.
However, if new electric charging facilities are established along with the aging of chargers, it would create 355 jobs annually in the electric construction business and the number of jobs related to sales marketing and customer service could increase, the report noted.
The Korea Labor Institute recommended that related institutions, including municipal governments, need to assist with the training of EV repair personnel, the cost of business closures, and the transition to other businesses.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)