Routledge Handbook of Korean Business and Management

Abstract

South Korea's distinctive employment landscape, shaped by historical events like Japanese colonialism, the Korean War, and the Miracle of Han River, has profoundly influenced its confrontational industrial relations. In the early 1960s, a military coup ushered in an era of prioritizing economic growth over worker rights, leading to discontent and intellectual involvement in labour movements. The Great Labour Struggle of 1987-1989 marked a turning point with a surge in unionization rates and significant gains in workers' rights, symbolized by the establishment of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) as a counterbalance to the government-aligned Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU). Despite their longstanding roles, both unions have faced criticism for failing to adapt sufficiently to modern challenges, such as labour market disparities, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, an ageing population, and the rise of non-union employee representation. As South Korea confronts these issues, there is a pressing need for a new paradigm in employment relations to address contemporary realities and ensure equitable representation and protection for all workers. © 2025 Chris Rowley, Johngseok Bae, Hicheon Kim and Heechun Kim. All rights reserved.