SEOUL, Nov. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — A new survey has found that South Korean doctors work more than 2,300 hours a year on average, prompting calls from the medical community for more accurate assessments of working conditions before the government determines future medical school quotas. At a conference hosted Wednesday by the Korean Medical Association’s Research [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — A Seoul court has ruled that a Buddhist monk’s daily prayers and care for a temple’s head monk do not constitute “labor” under the law, rejecting his claim for nearly 700 million won (about US$510,000) in back pay and compensation. The Seoul Northern District Court on Sunday dismissed a [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — Developers from major South Korean game studios are voicing frustration over management practices that prioritize short-term profits over creativity, arguing that such behavior undermines the industry’s global competitiveness. At a meeting with Vice Culture Minister Kim Young-soo on Thursday, members of the IT division of the Korean Federation of Chemical, [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — A controversy over overwork has erupted in South Korea after the death of a young employee at the popular bakery chain London Bagel Museum (known locally as Runbaemyu), with the victim’s family alleging that he worked excessive hours in the weeks leading up to his death. According to the family, [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea recorded about 23 billion won (US$166 million) in fraudulent unemployment benefit claims so far this year, with the government recovering only two-thirds of the amount, according to parliamentary data released Wednesday. The National Assembly Budget Office said in its 2026 budget analysis that as of August, authorities [...]
POHANG, Nov. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — One subcontracted worker died and three others were injured after inhaling toxic gas at POSCO’s Pohang steelworks on Wednesday morning, reviving criticism of what labor groups call South Korea’s “outsourced danger.” According to police and POSCO officials, the accident occurred around 9 a.m. at the stainless steel annealing and pickling [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s ruling party is moving swiftly to legislate an extension of the retirement age to 65 by the end of the year, backed by the nation’s two largest labor unions. But the country’s major business groups are warning that the proposal could amplify management uncertainty and deepen structural problems [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s television industry, long celebrated for its global influence, remains mired in poor labor conditions—where freelance writers, producers, and crew often work close to 30 hours straight without rest and rely on verbal contracts instead of written agreements. A new report by the Korea Creative Content Agency, released [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s rapid adoption of industrial robots has boosted employment among younger workers under 45, while reducing job opportunities for older employees, a new study shows—highlighting how automation is reshaping the nation’s labor market and education trends. According to a report released Sunday by the Korea Labor Institute titled [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Korea Bizwire) — Jung Eun-hye, a 35-year-old actress and painter with Down syndrome who rose to prominence through the hit drama Our Blues, appeared before South Korea’s National Assembly on Thursday to call for the passage of a special bill supporting stable, rights-based public jobs for people with severe disabilities. Speaking as a [...]