Middle-aged students working on wallpapering at a vocational training center (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — In a vocational training center in Seoul’s Jung district, Shin Hae-cheong, 72, carefully measures wallpaper and prepares paste for his latest assignment. A real estate agent by trade, Shin traveled from his provincial home to the capital to earn a wallpapering certification — what he hopes will be his ticket to a second career.
“With the rise of online real estate platforms, I felt my profession was at risk,” Shin said. “Wallpapering is something that AI and machines can’t replace, and I believe there will be plenty of work available.”
As concerns about artificial intelligence displacing workers become reality, a growing number of middle-aged and older South Koreans are gravitating toward trades they believe are resistant to automation.
According to Statistics Korea’s “2024 Social Trends” report, approximately 2.77 million jobs — 9.8% of the total workforce — could potentially be replaced by generative AI tools like ChatGPT. Administrative positions, including travel and marketing clerks and customer service representatives, face the highest risk of displacement.
However, blue collar occupations such as steel workers, transport equipment mechanics, and construction finishing specialists are considered relatively safe from AI disruption.
The director of the vocational center, identified only by his surname Park, noted that people in their 50s approaching retirement comprise the largest group of students in wallpapering classes. “The common refrain among students is, ‘Machines can’t do this kind of work, can they?’” Park said.
A welding academy in Incheon’s Bupyeong district reports similar trends. “While automated welding exists, the most precise work still requires human hands,” said Choi Do-man, 62, the academy’s vice principal. “About 10% of our hundred yearly graduates come from IT backgrounds. They tell us that IT companies start treating workers differently once they hit their 40s.”
Yet not all older workers are fleeing from technology. Some are embracing the AI wave, viewing it as an opportunity for career reinvention. A representative from an IT education center in Gangnam said many students in their 50s are learning to use ChatGPT and other AI tools to support post-retirement entrepreneurial ventures, such as app development and service planning.
“The increasing number of middle-aged and older people studying AI is a natural phenomenon,” said Lee Byoung-hoon, professor emeritus of sociology at Chung-Ang University. He suggested that the government consider developing a job information system that could help workers identify which occupations are at risk of AI displacement.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
