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Straits Times
11-07-2025
- Straits Times
South Korea mandates breaks for outdoor workers in deadly heat
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A woman uses a piece of paper to cover herself from the sun as she waits to cross a road in Seoul on July 10. SEOUL - South Korea will require outdoor workers to receive at least 20 minutes of rest every two hours when apparent temperatures exceed 33 deg C from as early as next week, the Ministry of Employment and Labor said on July 11. The new rule – part of a revision to the occupational safety and health standards – was passed during a review by the Regulatory Reform Committee on J uly 11 . It had been initially rejected in April and May 2025 over concerns that it would overburden small and medium-sized enterprises. The revision was made following mounting criticism from labour groups and a surge in heat-related deaths among outdoor workers during the relentless and intense heat. In recent days, more than 1,000 cases of heat-related illness have been reported – over twice the number recorded during the same period in 2024 – as record-high temperatures grip the country. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's heat-related illness emergency room surveillance system, 1,357 patients had visited emergency rooms by July 10 due to heat-related illnesses, with nine deaths reported. The majority of cases, comprising 28.7 per cent of the total, occurred at outdoor workplaces like construction sites. On July 7 , a Vietnamese day labourer in his 20s was found dead at an apartment complex construction site in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province. The authorities suspect the cause of his death to be a heat-related illness, as his body temperature was over 40 deg C when found. Gumi also saw daytime temperatures reach as high as 38.3 deg C on the same day. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Nuclear safety research gets boost with new institute, $66m funding as S'pore weighs energy viability Singapore Man who killed 5-year-old daughter gets life sentence after he appeals against 35-year jail term Singapore More than 14,300 people checked during 7-week-long anti-crime ops Singapore Over 150 e-bikes and other non-compliant mobility devices impounded in last 2 months: LTA Singapore Judge declines to void alleged sham marriage in S'pore, says it is for Parliament to decide Singapore S'porean who defaulted on NS obligations used fake Malaysian passports at checkpoints over 800 times Singapore Over 12,000 lower-income households to receive $60 in transport vouchers by end-July Business CEO salaries: At Singapore's top companies, whose pay went up and whose saw a drop? On July 3, a Filipino seasonal worker in his 30s was found unconscious at a field in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The worker was immediately transported to the hospital, with medical authorities suspecting he collapsed due to heat-related illness. As South Korea continues to break summer heat records year after year, the government has in the past emphasized three basic principles for responding to heatwaves – water, shade and rest. The labour ministry has also recommended that all work outdoors be suspended during heatwaves – though such recommendations weren't legally binding. However, according to workers, such guidelines were not properly implemented. According to a study conducted by the South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions in 2024, around 15 per cent of outdoor workers reported not receiving water on site and only 20 per cent of respondents indicated that they had been able to stop work during heatwaves. 'The problem behind Korea's policies on working conditions for outdoor workers in summer is that they're mere recommendations and are not legally mandated,' sociology professor Lee Byoung-hun from Chung-Ang University told The Korea Herald. 'Korea needs a legislated work stoppage system based on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature index ( WBGT ), similar to California, to effectively respond to heatwaves.' The WBGT index mentioned by Prof Lee is a measure of heat stress in direct sunlight that considers temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation and is used to assess the risk of heat-related illnesses during outdoor activities. 'Although Korea is seeing record-breaking summer temperatures every year, its protective measures for those working outdoors in the heat lag significantly behind other countries,' Prof Lee added, mentioning Greece as an example. Greece recently saw temperatures reaching as high as 40 deg C, prompting the Greek government to order a temporary suspension of outdoor labour and delivery services in parts of the country, according to the Associated Press on July 7 . 'Mandatory rest periods, wearing cooling vests as well as the installation of cooling equipment should be mandated by the government to make sure such working guidelines are properly implemented,' Prof Lee added. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Korea Herald
11-07-2025
- Health
- Korea Herald
Rest or risk: Korea mandantes breaks for outdoor workers in deadly heat
Korea needs legally binding heat-stress work stoppages to prevent further casualties, say experts South Korea will require outdoor workers to receive at least 20 minutes of rest every two hours when apparent temperatures exceed 33 degrees Celsius from as early as next week, the Ministry of Employment and Labor said Friday. The new rule — part of a revision to the Occupational Safety and Health Standards — was passed during a review by the Regulatory Reform Committee on Friday. It had been initially rejected in April and May over concerns that it would overburden small and medium-sized enterprises. The revision was made following mounting criticism from labor groups and a surge in heat-related deaths among outdoor workers during the relentless and intense heat. In recent days, more than 1,000 cases of heat-related illness have been reported — over twice the number recorded during the same period last year — as record-high temperatures grip the country. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's heat-related illness emergency room surveillance system, 1,357 patients had visited emergency rooms by Thursday due to heat-related illnesses, with nine deaths reported. The majority of cases, comprising 28.7 percent of the total, occurred at outdoor workplaces like construction sites. On Monday, a Vietnamese day laborer in his 20s was found dead at an apartment complex construction site in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province. Authorities suspect the cause of his death to be a heat-related illness, as his body temperature was over 40 degrees Celsius when found. Gumi also saw daytime temperatures reach as high as 38.3 C on the same day. On July 3, a Filipino seasonal worker in his 30s was found unconscious at a field in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The worker was immediately transported to the hospital, with medical authorities suspecting he collapsed due to heat-related illness. As Korea continues to break summer heat records year after year, the government has in the past emphasized three basic principles for responding to heat waves — water, shade and rest. The Labor Ministry has also recommended that all work outdoors be suspended during heat waves — though such recommendations weren't legally binding. Korea behind on worker heat rules However, according to workers, such guidelines were not properly implemented. According to a study conducted by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions in 2024, around 15 percent of outdoor workers reported not receiving water on site and only 20 percent of respondents indicated that they had been able to stop work during heat waves. 'The problem behind Korea's policies on working conditions for outdoor workers in summer is that they're mere recommendations and are not legally mandated,' sociology professor Lee Byoung-hun from Chung-Ang University told The Korea Herald. 'Korea needs a legislated work stoppage system based on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature index, similar to California, to effectively respond to heat waves.' The WBGT index mentioned by professor Lee is a measure of heat stress in direct sunlight that considers temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation and is used to assess the risk of heat-related illnesses during outdoor activities. 'Although Korea is seeing record-breaking summer temperatures every year, its protective measures for those working outdoors in the heat lag significantly behind other countries,' Lee added, mentioning Greece as an example. Greece recently saw temperatures reaching as high as 40 C, prompting the Greek government to order a temporary suspension of outdoor labor and delivery services in parts of the country, according to the Associated Press on Monday. 'Mandatory rest periods, wearing cooling vests as well as the installation of cooling equipment should be mandated by the government to make sure such working guidelines are properly implemented,' Lee added.
Korea Herald
30-06-2025
- Korea Herald
Vietnamese business owner rips off compatriot in Korea, refuses to pay wages
A Vietnamese business owner in South Korea has been accused of exploiting the visa status of a fellow Vietnamese national by refusing to pay wages amounting to 3.5 million won ($2,592), a local media reported Monday. The alleged victim was staying in Korea on a student visa, which in bans holders from working without permission from the school and the Korea Immigration Service. Despite this, the suspect is alleged to have employed him at his food store, where the wage dispute arose, according to News1, citing the Cheonan office of the Ministry of Employment and Labor. The accused had snubbed the summons orders by the labor board for seven months, leading officials to arrest him at his residence in Osan, Gyeonggi Province. The investigation revealed that the accused was in the country illegally, and had registered and operated multiple businesses under borrowed names. His case has been transferred to the local immigration office under the Korea Immigration Service. South Korea's labor law and a landmark 1995 ruling of the Supreme Court states that an employee should not be refused wages even if the employment itself is against the law. Those victimized by such actions should report the case to the local labor authorities. Violating the conditions of the D-2 student visa could lead to a fine or cancellation of the visa.
Korea Herald
27-06-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
If you earn over W4m a month, you're above average in Korea
The average South Korean worker earned 3.97 million won ($2,900) before taxes and worked 165.6 hours in April, according to data released Thursday by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Nominal wages rose 2.7 percent compared to the same month last year. Real wages, which reflect purchasing power after adjusting for inflation, increased 0.6 percent to 3.41 million won. By industry, the highest average earnings were in finance and insurance, where workers made an average of 7.44 million won, a 6.1 percent increase from a year earlier. This was followed by the energy sector, with an average wage of 5.89 million won. At the bottom was the accommodation and food services sector, where workers earned just 2.18 million won on average. Working hours also increased. The average of 165.6 hours that employees worked in April was 6.1 hours more than the same month last year. But the ministry attributed the uptick to the calendar. April 2024 had one more working day than the previous year, due to the Election Day for the 22nd National Assembly falling in April 2023. Also, as of May, 20.29 million people were employed at businesses with at least one employee, roughly the same as a year earlier. However, hiring activity slowed. A total of 826,000 new hires were recorded, down 61,000 from a year ago. The construction sector saw the sharpest drop, with 46,000 fewer hires.
Korea Herald
26-06-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
'It's harder to get a job' says 83% of surveyed job seekers
More than 8 out of 10 potential employees feel it has become harder to land a job in the first half of this year compared to before, a survey by a recruitment platform showed Thursday. Saramin conducted the survey on 801 people seeking a workplace, which showed that 83.1 percent of the respondents said "the difficulty finding a job has worsened compared to last year." Another 14.9 percent said it was similar to before, and the remaining 2 percent said it had gotten easier. When asked why the job market has worsened or stayed bad (multiple answers possible), 55.5 percent said it was because the corporations are posting fewer employment notifications, followed by lack of decent jobs (35.4 percent) and high competition for jobs (34.1 percent). In terms of the measures taken to addressed this issue, 47.8 percent picked lowering expectations for jobs, 42.5 percent said they are applying more frequently, and 25.1 percent said they are hunting for any jobs available. The surveyed people were pessimistic about the country's job market in the second half, as 38.4 percent said the situation would get worse, 48.9 percent said it would be about the same, and only 12.7 percent predicting the situation will get better. When asked on reasons for the strained job market, 53.5 percent cited the difficulties faced by businesses, while 45.8 percent blamed expected failure to boost domestic demands. Some 34.9 percent said the uncertainties in the glocal economy, including tariff tensions, will affect their job-seeking prospects. About 74.9 percent said economic growth is essential to address the problems in the job market, while 45.7 percent called for effective government policies. A recent government report indicated that the problems for job-seekers is expected to continue for the immediate future. A Ministry of Employment and Labor report revealed Thursday showed that the companies across the country are expected to hire 9.7 percent less people in the second and third quarter of this year, compared to the same period in 2024. The Labor Ministry report showed that the local firms' were short-handed by 469,000 employees in the first quarter compared to the number of employees they needed for "normal operation" in terms of factors like running its manufacturing facility and responding to the market's demand. The report's findings indicate that the Korean companies have generally been running short-handed in the Q1, but does not plan to substantially increase their hiring immediately.
