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South Korea Faces Growing Concerns Over Rising Youth Disengagement from Labor Market

South Korea Faces Growing Concerns Over Rising Youth Disengagement from Labor Market

SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea is witnessing a sharp rise in young people opting out of work or job-seeking, raising fears of a growing NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) population, according to a recent report by the Bank of Korea.  The study, released on Monday, reveals that the number of [...]

Survey Reveals Labor Experts Favor Revival of “Yellow Envelope Law” as Key Pledge for Workers in Upcoming Election

Survey Reveals Labor Experts Favor Revival of “Yellow Envelope Law” as Key Pledge for Workers in Upcoming Election

SEOUL, Feb. 5 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent survey has shown that labor experts consider the reintroduction of the “Yellow Envelope Law” (an amendment to the Labor Union and Labor Relations Act) as the most crucial pledge for office workers in this year’s general election. Gabjil 119, a civic group, conducted a poll among its affiliated [...]

Local Labor Crisis: Aging Workforce Spurs Calls for International Recruitment and Automation Boost

Local Labor Crisis: Aging Workforce Spurs Calls for International Recruitment and Automation Boost

SEOUL, Dec. 27 (Korea Bizwire) – The current state of the labor market in South Korea is more challenging than prior to the pandemic, with the workforce aging rapidly and showing reduced enthusiasm for strenuous manufacturing roles, as per a recent survey.  To address this, recommendations include recruiting more international students and middle-skilled foreign workers possessing [...]

Age Limit Increase for Young Adults Brings Population Structure Shift in S. Korea’s Labor Market

Age Limit Increase for Young Adults Brings Population Structure Shift in S. Korea’s Labor Market

SEOUL, June 20 (Korea Bizwire) — As South Korea’s young population continues to shrink, policies aimed at raising the age limit of the youth population are spreading across the country. The municipality of Jeongeup in North Jeolla Province said Monday it has increased the age limit for young residents to 45 years old. This change [...]

Japanese Restaurant Employees Least Satisfied with Work, Exposed to Highly Intensive Labor: Survey

Japanese Restaurant Employees Least Satisfied with Work, Exposed to Highly Intensive Labor: Survey

SEOUL, Dec. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — Among restaurant employees, workers at Japanese restaurants feel most exposed to intensive labor while their sense of achievement is the lowest, a survey showed. The Industrial Skills Council, comprised of 16 associations and groups including the Korea Food Service Industry Association, conducted a survey of 160 workers in the [...]

Court Recognizes Chauffeurs as Laborers

Court Recognizes Chauffeurs as Laborers

SEOUL, Nov. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — A South Korean court ruled for the first time that chauffeurs are laborers with legal rights to engage in collective bargaining. The Eastern Branch of Busan District Court rejected a lawsuit submitted by two chauffeur service providers against three chauffeurs. The two chauffeur services in Busan have been using [...]

Overtime Hours on Steady Decline at Companies Subject to 52-hour Workweek

Overtime Hours on Steady Decline at Companies Subject to 52-hour Workweek

SEOUL, Apr. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — The overtime hours average has been on a steady decline at South Korean companies affected by the mandatory 52-hour workweek, a government report said Tuesday. According to the report by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the average overtime hours per person at manufacturing companies with more than 300 [...]

Key Korean Industries’ Global Market Share Predicted to Drop in 10 Years

Key Korean Industries’ Global Market Share Predicted to Drop in 10 Years

SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Korea Bizwire) – “Provided the current situation remains the same going forward, [industries] excepting a few such as semiconductors, general machinery and weapons manufacturing will lose market share. In particular, the automotive, shipbuilding, petrochemical, textiles, home appliances, and communications devices industries will see their respective global market share drop in 2025 compared [...]