Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2005, published 95th ILC session (2006)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Republic of Korea (Ratification: 1992)

1. Labour market and training policies. The Committee notes the information contained in the Government’s report received in October 2004 for the period between May 2001 and May 2004. The Government indicates that, due to a domestic and international economic upturn, unemployment decreased slightly from 3.4 per cent in 2003 to 3.2 per cent in 2004. The Government also indicates that small and medium-sized enterprises experienced a labour shortage of 139,000 workers in 2003, and it plans to address this shortage by promoting the employment of women, youth, the elderly and people with disabilities through labour market policies. Programmes to benefit these groups include:

-  Youth employment promotion. Subsidizing companies who hire youths; organizing career fairs; and creating work experiences through vocational training, overseas training and internship programmes. From January 2004 to June 2004, 134,000 youths were provided with jobs or training opportunities. The Government aimed to benefit a total of 143,000 youths by the end of 2004.

-  Employment promotion of the elderly. Setting industry quotas on the employment of the elderly; providing mid-career training to enhance employability; and subsidizing companies for hiring elderly workers. The Government also plans to introduce other programmes to facilitate favourable employment conditions for the elderly in 2005, such as financially supporting companies that extend the retirement age.

-  Employment promotion of women. Implementing affirmative action programmes in the private and public sectors; assisting working mothers; and providing training for unemployed female household heads.

2. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide relevant statistics on the employment of these groups, such as unemployment and labour participation rates, to assess the results achieved through these measures. In addition to promoting the employment of women, youth, the elderly and disabled, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate in its next report whether programmes are in place to support the employment of other vulnerable groups, such as migrant workers. In this regard, the Committee also refers to its comments on the application of the Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88), and the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention, 1983 (No. 159).

3. General economic policies. In addition to its labour market and training policies, the Government is pursuing other measures to create jobs, such as encouraging the development of new technologies, supporting venture firms, and reducing working hours. The Government states that these measures have only been implemented recently, so their progress is presently unknown. The Committee requests the Government to include in its next report any evaluation available on the impact of these programmes and its contribution to employment promotion. For example, reducing working hours has the potential to significantly impact the level and structure of employment. Furthermore, the Committee would appreciate information on the manner in which other macroeconomic policies, such as monetary and fiscal policies, advance the promotion of full, productive, and freely chosen employment (Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention).

4. Participation of the social partners in the formulation and application of policies. The Committee notes the information concerning the membership composition of the Employment Policy Council and special committees and the policy-making processes, agendas and results of tripartite consultation. It requests that the Government continue to provide information on the issues articulated by the social partners and the incorporation of their opinions in employment policy (Article 3).