Labor ministry launches regional labor education pilot in nine regions

The labor ministry said Tuesday it will pilot regional councils for lifelong labor education in nine areas this year, starting with a new committee in the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City.

The initiative follows concerns that labor education has been fragmented among central government, institutions and organizations. The councils will allow local participants to identify training needs based on their labor environments.

Each council will be linked to an existing regional labor-management-government council, bringing together local authorities and groups from labor, business, academia and civil society to coordinate education resources and link training to support programs.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Employment and Labor Education Institute will provide materials tailored to different life stages, train specialist instructors and support courses.

"Unfair treatment of young part-time workers and abusive practices such as 'taeum' against nurses have still not disappeared from workplaces," Kwon Chang-jun, the labor ministry's vice minister, said. "Proper understanding of labor law and sound views of labor are more important than anything else for preventing workplace conflicts and establishing a culture of respect for labor in society."

Pilot councils will operate in nine metropolitan and provincial governments in 2026 before the ministry expands support to all metropolitan and provincial governments from 2027.