SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — A growing share of young South Koreans are stepping away from the labor market altogether, a shift that economists say reflects deeper structural strains in an economy struggling to adapt to technological change and slowing growth. According to a report released Tuesday by the Bank of Korea, the proportion of [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — Older South Koreans participating in government-sponsored job programs earned an average of about 405,000 won ($300) a month last year, with most saying the primary reason for working was to cover basic living expenses, according to a nationwide survey released Monday. The study, published by the Korea Labor Force Development [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — A large majority of South Korean workers say the rapid spread of artificial intelligence is likely to widen labor-market inequality and deepen wealth polarization, according to a new nationwide survey. The poll, conducted in October 2025 by research firm Global Research on behalf of the labor advocacy group Workplace Abuse [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — Young workers in South Korea are increasingly gravitating toward large corporations, even as employment at small businesses shrinks to historic lows — a widening divide that is reshaping the country’s labor market. Government microdata from the Economically Active Population Survey show that in 2025, the number of people in their [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — Unionized city bus drivers in Seoul began an indefinite strike early Tuesday after marathon wage talks with management collapsed, bringing all intracity bus services to a halt and raising fears of widespread commuting disruptions in the capital. Negotiations stretched for more than 10 hours into the early morning, but ended [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — Samsung Electronics has expanded its stock-based bonus program to include all employees, ending a rule that had required executives to receive at least half of their performance bonuses in company shares, according to people familiar with the decision. The move comes as Samsung’s share price has surged over the past [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — Samsung Electronics is on the verge of forming its first-ever majority labor union, as membership in its cross-company union has surged amid persistent employee dissatisfaction over performance-based pay, despite the company’s record profits. According to industry sources on Jan. 11, membership in the Samsung Electronics branch of the cross-company union [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — Women in South Korea who leave the workforce due to pregnancy, childbirth or caregiving face persistent economic penalties when they return to work, with four in 10 earning less than before their career break, according to a new study released on Sunday. The report, published by the Seoul Foundation of [...]
CHANGWON•SACHEON, Jan. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — Two undocumented migrant workers injured while fleeing an immigration enforcement operation in South Gyeongsang Province last year have been officially recognized as victims of industrial accidents, a decision that labor groups say highlights gaps in workplace safety and protections for foreign workers. The South Gyeongsang branch of the Korean Confederation [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — The labor ministry on Tuesday vowed to take stern action against U.S. e-commerce giant Coupang Inc. amid allegations the company violated a set of workplace laws. The remark came after the Ministry of Employment and Labor launched a task force to investigate suspected violations of labor and industrial accident [...]