When Seoul’s Factories Turn to the Sweet “S” Team
Imagine a cramped Seoul workshop, the smell of fresh aluminium alloy hanging in the air, and the desperate scramble for someone to lift heavy bars. “I’ve had to bring in a 61‑year‑old,” says owner Hwang Kwang‑jo, head honcho of Iljin Enterprise. That’s a company usually staffed by about 35 workers, but the pandemic has thin‑lined the pool of foreign labor and modern Koreans just won’t take a grease‑slick blue‑collar gig.
Why the Great Labour Crunch?
- Unemployment in Korea is at a near‑record low (2.9 %)—but that means folks who are ready to work in factories are simply being absorbed elsewhere.
- Post‑COVID migration dropped, with the monthly influx of new foreign workers falling to just 35 % of 2019 levels.
- The younger generation is skipping the heavy lifting: no resumes from people in their 20s!
The Aging Workforce: Handy or a Curse?
South Korea, arguably the world’s fastest‑aging society, has a surprising 33.1 % of workers aged 70–74 still in the workforce—twice the OECD average of 15.2 %. In factories and construction sites, over 230,000 workers aged 60 plus have filled in since early 2020.
But hiring the “old‑school” workers isn’t a silver bullet. Every time a factory blocks out a younger applicant, the working conditions have to be renegotiated, wagesers increased, and… well, the whole industrial sector feels the pinch. We’re looking at soaring prices and a 24‑year runaway inflation.
Age vs. Skill: The Crunch‑back
Once a great story—“Our 61‑year‑old is now the heavy bar champion”—has turned into a “have‑to‑hire” reality. Even Hwang struggles with the physical demands of the job. “If I can’t get younger folk or migrants, I’ll grab more retirees,” he tells us, lacing each of his crew with a raise. His foreign workers now receive 700,000 won (about $737) monthly bonuses plus a salary increase.
How Vietnam, Japan, and Others Deal
Japan’s stricter pandemic controls have emptied its foreign workforce, leaving the elderly to fill the void. Meanwhile, the South Korean government is loosening visa restrictions and slashing red‑tape for you, the foreign labourer, hoping to patch the work gap.
Case Study: Land Developer in Danyang Pays a Premium to a 64‑Year‑Old
Local land developer Kim Ji‑hwang turned to a 64‑year‑old, Mr. Park Jang‑young, when the factory on a development site ran short of manpower. Park cleans trucks and equipment for 3.7 million won a month – a dramatic improvement over his old car‑parking job.
“You’d think the boss wants younger “‑ he jokes.
“But if you’re carving a future beyond Seoul, younger workers chase the big city, and even foreign hires feel picky, improving pay and conditions through their own networks. I’ll stick to this job; it’s a good paycheck for my age,” says Park.
In short? If your factory’s hiring codes keep shrinking, the next in line might just be your grandma—bracing hard‑work, and paying surprisingly good wages.
