Labor ministry extends Yeosu designation, names Dangjin crisis-response area

The labor ministry said Thursday it had extended Yeosu's preemptive employment-crisis response designation for one year and newly designated Dangjin, citing a petrochemical downturn and manufacturing job losses.

Yeosu's status will now run through Aug. 27, 2027. The extension was recognized as necessary because of a slump in the petrochemical industry.

Dangjin's newly granted status will run through Aug. 20, 2027. The ministry tied the designation to employment declines in the steel industry and metal-products manufacturing.

"Today's job-policy direction, innovation in employment services and measures to respond to regional employment crises are key tasks for creating a country where everyone can work happily," Kim Young-hoon, minister of employment and labor, said. "We will faithfully reflect the opinions put forward by the committee so that policies produce tangible results in the field," he added.

Designation allows the two cities to receive preferential terms in employment-support programs, including employment-retention subsidies, vocational-skills development support and loans for living stability. The terms can ease eligibility requirements or raise the level of assistance available.