The Ministry of Employment and Labor (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 28 (Korea Bizwire) – The South Korean government is set to establish a new national technical qualification in the field of smart manufacturing, a cutting-edge manufacturing process that integrates Information Technology (IT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
On August 27, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced the approval of an amendment to the enforcement decree of the National Technical Qualification Act. This amendment adds smart manufacturing to the list of fields eligible for national technical qualification testing.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will oversee the qualification process for the smart manufacturing sector.
Based on this amendment, the government is moving forward with plans to introduce two new qualifications: “Smart Factory Industrial Engineer” and “Smart Factory Craftsman.”
These new qualifications are scheduled to be first implemented in 2026, following a comprehensive preparation process. This process includes developing test standards, revising relevant laws and regulations, and finalizing the testing administration agency.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
