The Ministry of Employment and Labor (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s artificial intelligence–based labor law consultation service recorded more than 117,000 inquiries last year, underscoring growing demand for round-the-clock guidance on wages, working hours and employment rights, the Labor Ministry said Wednesday.
According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, usage of the AI-powered service rose sharply in 2025, driven in part by its integration with Danggeun Market’s job-matching platform, Danggeun Alba, which significantly expanded public access.
After the service was embedded into the platform, daily consultations climbed 85.7 percent, rising from an average of 251 cases to 466. In January this year, daily usage has exceeded 1,000 inquiries, the ministry said.
The service provides 24-hour, customized responses, with an average answer generated in about three seconds. Nearly 38 percent of inquiries were made at night or on weekends, reflecting demand from workers unable to visit labor offices or make phone calls during business hours.
The most common consultation topics included unemployment benefits, severance pay, employment contracts and unpaid wages.
Foreign-language inquiries accounted for 6.8 percent of total usage, highlighting the platform’s growing role among migrant workers who often face barriers in accessing labor rights information.
The ministry said it will invest 2.8 billion won this year to enhance the system’s quality and expand its scope. Planned upgrades include coverage of workplace harassment, industrial accident compensation procedures and the employment permit system.
Officials also plan to link the AI service with the government’s labor portal so users can file formal complaints after consultations. Additional features will allow workers to upload photos of employment contracts or related documents, enabling the system to instantly identify potential legal violations.
The AI labor law service is available free of charge through the ministry’s website.
“This is a digital public service that allows anyone to access tailored labor law information anytime and anywhere,” Lee Hyun-ok, head of labor policy at the ministry, said. “This year, we will significantly strengthen both its scope and functionality to improve public awareness and usability.”
The initiative reflects the government’s broader push to use artificial intelligence to close gaps in access to essential public services, particularly for vulnerable workers.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
