Government to Provide 30 Billion Won in Support for 13 'Employment Concern Areas' Including Yeosu and Ulsan

by Kim Pyeonghwa

Pubilshed 18 Jun.2025 14:11(KST)

Support for New Hires and Employment Stability Programs to Be Implemented

The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced on June 18 that it will proactively provide a total of 30 billion won in support for job creation projects tailored to the characteristics of 13 metropolitan cities and provinces where employment slowdowns are expected due to changes in the general environment, regional disasters, or prolonged industry downturns. Previously, the ministry held a project application process last month for all 17 metropolitan cities and provinces, and received applications from 13 of them.

Ministry of Employment and Labor

The recipients of this support include Jeollanam-do (45 billion won for Yeosu) suffering from a downturn in the petrochemical industry, Ulsan (1 billion won) where concerns are rising due to the United States' high tariff policies on automobiles and steel, Gyeongsangbuk-do (4.2 billion won) which experienced large-scale wildfire damage, and Gwangju (1.3 billion won) where the local job situation has become unstable due to the Kumho Tire factory fire. In addition, Busan, Daegu, Gyeonggi, Jeonbuk, and Gyeongnam are also included as eligible regions.

Going forward, the 13 cities and provinces plan to implement various support programs tailored to their local circumstances to prevent further deterioration of their employment situations. These programs will provide employment support for new hires and promote long-term retention and job security for current employees. The Ministry of Employment and Labor will finalize agreements with the 13 local governments this week to ensure swift implementation of the projects.

Lee Junghan, Director-General of Employment Policy at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, stated, "With this support, we will strengthen cooperation between the central and local governments to help local governments address concerns about employment slowdowns in their regions." He added, "We will continue to monitor local labor market conditions and take timely measures to ensure that regional employment slowdowns do not spread throughout the entire local labor market."