Labour shortage eases, but entry-level jobs hit by AI

RTHK - Sep 22, 2026

The government will help workers at all levels equip themselves for the new AI era as the emergence of frontier technology coincided with a plunge in clerical and entry-level positions for fresh university graduates, said Acting Secretary for Labour and Welfare Ho Kai-ming. He spoke as Hong Kong's manpower situation remained tight across most key industries, with the government saying shortages had eased thanks to talent admission and labour importation measures taken over recent years. The Mid-term Update of Manpower Projection released on Tuesday estimates a shortfall of 130,000 workers by 2028, down from an earlier forecast of 180,000. Ho says demand in certain industries remains acute. "Manpower remains tight across most key industries – especially innovation and technology, aviation, construction, city operations and healthcare," he said. "Without the various labour importation measures, the overall shortfall would have widened to 300,000 due to an ageing population." The report predicts that by 2028, construction will face the biggest crunch, with a shortfall of 30,000 to 40,000 workers. It will be followed by a shortage of 20,000 to 25,000 for "city operations" and 13,000 to 18,000 for healthcare. By occupation, the report says 60 percent of the shortfall is concentrated in "skilled technical workers" and "services and sales...

Read full article

More News

Korea's aviation industry undergoes major M&A shakeup

Korea’s low-cost carrier (LCC) industry is heading for a major shakeup, as VIG Partners moves to acquire Air Premia, seeking synergies by combining the long-haul-focused carrier with its existing Eastar Jet, which has a stronger presence on short-haul routes. VIG is reportedly in negotiations with AP Holdings and Tire Bank to acquire about 70 percent of Air Premia, with the transaction valued at around 300 billion won ($217 million). The potential deal would mark VIG’s second major move in Korea’s LCC industry since it acquired Eastar Jet in 2023. The latest move would give the private equity firm access to two airlines with distinctly different route strategies: Eastar has focused largely on short- and medium-haul routes, while Air Premia has built its business around long-haul services, including flights particularly to the United States. The combination could therefore offer a way to build scale across a broader network, rather than simply adding another airline to VIG’s portfolio. Eastar Jet and Air Premia generated combined sales of about 1.21 trillion won last year, accordi

Korea's aviation industry undergoes major M&A shakeup

In AI-augmented legal market, clients will judge firms by final results: BKL chief

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes a standard tool across the legal profession and beyond, clients will ultimately judge law firms not by whether or how much they use the technology, but by the quality of the results they deliver with it, said Yi Joon-ki, managing partner of Bae, Kim & Lee (BKL). “Clients do not really care what tools we use,” Yi said in a recent interview with The Korea Times at his office. “What they want is a compelling and useful analysis — one that addresses their needs. In the end, it is BKL’s judgment, and BKL will be responsible for it. As long as we deliver a reliable answer, that is what matters to them.” The Seoul-based law firm has emerged as one of the most active adopters of generative AI among Korean law firms, rolling out the technology across the organization this year after conducting pilot projects in litigation, legal research, due diligence, document drafting and other legal tasks. Yi said BKL’s broader ambition is not merely to automate routine work, but to redesign legal workflows so that lawyers can deliver deeper analysis, sha

In AI-augmented legal market, clients will judge firms by final results: BKL chief

Lee approves appointments of finance, defense, land minister nominees

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday approved the appointments of the minister nominees for finance, defense and land, his office said. Finance Minister nominee Lee Hyoung-il, Defense Minister nominee Kang Shin-chul and Land Minister nominee Hong Jee-sun recently underwent confirmation hearings at the National Assembly, and their hearing reports were adopted by the respective parliamentary committees. Lee appears to have signed off on their appointments shortly after arriving in New York, where he is set to attend the U.N. General Assembly.

Lee approves appointments of finance, defense, land minister nominees

President Lee arrives in New York to attend UN General Assembly

NEW YORK — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung arrived in New York on Monday to attend the United Nations General Assembly's High-Level Week and deliver a speech. During a speech on Tuesday to the U.N. session, Lee plans to propose ways to reform the U.N. to tackle global issues and outline South Korea's contributions, while also presenting his administration's vision of seeking peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula. On the sidelines of the U.N. session, Lee will seek to engage with other heads of state, including U.S. President Donald Trump, and hold a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to call for the world body's cooperation in efforts to ensure peace on the peninsula. On Wednesday, the president will attend an investment summit that will bring together economic and financial leaders from South Korea and the United States before departing for Mexico later that day for a state visit.

President Lee arrives in New York to attend UN General Assembly

Confirmation hearing report adopted for SME minister nominee

A parliamentary committee on Tuesday adopted a confirmation hearing report for the minister nominee for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), paving the way for her appointment. The report for SME Minister nominee Lee So-young was adopted by bipartisan consensus at a meeting of the parliamentary trade committee, though the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) noted concerns she may be unfit for the job due to unresolved suspicions surrounding her apartment purchase and apparent lack of expertise in SME policies. Still, the party said Lee had also led efforts to remove excessive business regulations and engaged in various parliamentary activities to promote sustainable growth. Lee, a two-term lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, was tapped by President Lee Jae Myung as part of a Cabinet reshuffle in late August and is known for her career as a climate and environmental lawyer.

Confirmation hearing report adopted for SME minister nominee

PM stresses importance of police roles under new law enforcement system

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Tuesday that a police reform committee will be established under her office to ensure a responsible and fair policing system as the law enforcement agency is set to take on greater roles according to the government's sweeping prosecution reform. Starting Oct. 2, the police will assume responsibility for all investigations, while the prosecution's role will be limited to indictment without the power to conduct investigations on its own. The reform has raised concerns negative effects could arise if police conduct all investigations as the prosecution has made up for shortfalls in police investigations. Such concerns have deepened in the wake of a series of police misconduct incidents in recent months, including shocking revelations that an officer closed two missing person cases without confirming their safety. The two were ultimately found dead. "Under the new system, the roles and responsibilities of police are of paramount importance," Han said during a Cabinet meeting held at the government complex in the central administrative city of Sejong. "The g

PM stresses importance of police roles under new law enforcement system

LG chairman widens AI data center partnerships with Big Tech firms

LG Group is expanding its partnerships with Big Tech companies in artificial intelligence (AI) data center infrastructure, with Chairman Koo Kwang-mo’s engagement with leaders of Microsoft and Nvidia leading to collaboration opportunities in areas including cooling systems, batteries and robotics components. LG Electronics said in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday that Koo met Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella at the latter's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, on Monday (local time), and discussed strategic collaboration in AI data center infrastructure, AI transformation and physical AI. In AI data center infrastructure, the two sides will explore business opportunities for LG to supply cooling, power and infrastructure solutions in support of Microsoft’s global data center expansion. In the short term, the two sides will concentrate on supplying LG Electronics’ high-capacity cooling solutions for Microsoft’s AI data center projects at key strategic locations, while expanding their collaboration over the medium to long term to prefabricated data centers. Prefabricated data cen

LG chairman widens AI data center partnerships with Big Tech firms

University of Seoul, Missouri S&T to offer dual doctoral degree program in engineering

The University of Seoul has signed a dual doctoral degree agreement in engineering with the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T). The University of Seoul said the agreement, signed Thursday, is designed to strengthen educational and research cooperation in engineering between the two universities. It also aims to foster engineering talent with global research capabilities and interdisciplinary problem-solving skills. Under the agreement, doctoral students who meet certain requirements will conduct research under the joint supervision of faculty members from both universities. They can earn dual doctoral degrees upon completing the academic programs and degree requirements of both institutions. The University of Seoul said its students will first complete coursework and conduct initial research in the university’s doctoral program. After meeting relevant requirements, including qualifying as doctoral candidates and passing the qualifying examination, they may be admitted to a doctoral program at Missouri S&T on a conditional basis. They will then complete the requir

University of Seoul, Missouri S&T to offer dual doctoral degree program in engineering

AI meets heritage to transform tourism experience in Seoul

In a leafy temple courtyard tucked away from the bustling avenues of Seoul, foreign travelers attempting to navigate the nuanced rituals of temple stays, meditation and traditional Eastern medicine may soon find an unlikely companion: generative artificial intelligence (AI). Under a newly announced initiative from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Korea is deploying cutting-edge digital technologies to modernize its oldest cultural assets. Officials said Tuesday that three tech startups have been selected to pair advanced AI, location-based audio guides and automated booking platforms with traditional Korean wellness and Buddhist heritage sites. The municipal project addresses a persistent hurdle for overseas visitors exploring Korean cultural heritage: steep language barriers and complex reservation systems. While K-pop and Korean cinema have drawn record numbers of international tourists to the capital, foreign visitors frequently report difficulty navigating off-the-beaten-path experiences like temple stays, herbal medicine consultations and monastic cuisine. To bridge this gap, city

AI meets heritage to transform tourism experience in Seoul

Gov't to cut prosecutor numbers under reform plan

The Public Prosecution Service, set to launch Oct. 2 under a sweeping prosecution reform, will initially have 80-85 percent of the current statutory quota of prosecutors, with plans for further reductions through a legal revision, the justice ministry said Tuesday. The ministry said the Cabinet approved legal amendments on the organization of the Public Prosecution Service and the number of prosecutors, reflecting various public opinions gathered during a legislative notice period from Sept. 4-9. The launch of the new agency is part of the government's reform stripping prosecutors of independent investigative powers. The amendments include further cuts to investigative personnel from the previously proposed staffing plan, the abolition of three additional deputy chief prosecutor-level posts and eight departments, and the renaming of departments that had drawn controversy. The number of prosecutors at the new agency, the most contentious issue, will be set at 80-85 percent of the 2,292 prosecutors currently authorized under the Prosecutor Quota Act. The ministry said it will seek an amendm

Gov't to cut prosecutor numbers under reform plan

Gov't bans private academies' placement tests for young children

Private academies will be prohibited from conducting placement tests for preschoolers starting next month, the education ministry said Tuesday, as part of efforts to curb severe forms of early childhood private education. The ban will take effect Oct. 1 under the revised Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons, which was passed during a Cabinet meeting the same day. Under the revision, all written, oral, practical and interview evaluations will be prohibited, as well as any evaluations utilizing test scores to grade specific abilities. As an exception, however, diagnostic assessments through observation or interviews after a child has already enrolled will be permitted with prior parental consent. The revision also calls for fines on violators of 1 million won ($735) for a first offense, 2 million won for a second offense, and 3 million won for third and subsequent offenses.

Gov't bans private academies' placement tests for young children

Kookmin University to strengthen cooperation with Uzbekistan's Ministry of Digital Technologies

Kookmin University has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Digital Technologies to promote cooperation in advanced technologies and expand industry-academia collaboration. The university said the MOU was signed at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul on Thursday. The agreement is designed to formalize the areas of cooperation discussed during the visit of Jamol Tilloyevich Makhsudov, Uzbekistan’s deputy minister of digital technologies, to Kookmin University on Sept. 10. Jeong Seung-ryul, president of the university, held a meeting with Uzbekistan’s Digital Technologies Minister Sherzod Shermatov, who was visiting Korea to attend the Korea-Central Asia Summit, to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation. The meeting was attended by Kim Byoung-joon, the university’s director of international affairs, and Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Korea Alisher Abdusalomov. The two sides exchanged views on talent development and industry-academia collaboration in advanced technology fields, including artificial intelligence (AI) and software. They agreed

Kookmin University to strengthen cooperation with Uzbekistan's Ministry of Digital Technologies

Recommended