Nearly half of South Korean workers are unable to freely use their paid annual leave. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — Nearly half of South Korean workers are unable to freely use their paid annual leave, according to a survey released on January 5th by Workplace Gapjil 119, a civic group advocating for employee rights.
The survey, conducted in September 2024 by Global Research, polled 1,000 workers nationwide. Only 50.1% of respondents said they could freely take their paid leave, while 26.3% reported restrictions and 23.6% said they had no access to paid leave at all.
This means 49.9% of workers face challenges in utilizing their legally entitled paid leave.
Disparities Among Workers
The issue is particularly pronounced among employees in small businesses with fewer than five employees (54%), non-regular workers (43.8%), service industry employees (41%), and those earning less than 1.5 million won per month (52.7%).
Additionally, 12.8% of respondents said their requests for paid leave had been denied by their employers. Among them, 42.2% cited “significant disruption to business operations” as the reason given for the rejection.
Calls for Reform
“Paid annual leave is not a ‘gift from the employer’ but a fundamental labor right guaranteed by the state,” the civic group emphasized, advocating for workers’ ability to take leave flexibly, including on short notice or in conjunction with public holidays.
However, gaps in current labor laws exclude businesses with fewer than five employees from mandatory paid leave regulations. Park Sang-hee, a labor attorney with Workplace Gapjil 119, called for urgent reforms to address these exclusions and ensure equitable access to paid leave for all workers.
The findings highlight persistent challenges in South Korea’s workplace culture and labor policies, underscoring the need for systemic changes to protect workers’ rights.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
