Gyeonggi Province to Launch Labor Inspectorate in December to Oversee 530,000 Workplaces

Ahead of the December launch of Gyeonggi Province's labor inspectorate, which will oversee workplaces with fewer than 30 employees in the province, Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly have begun coordinating efforts.

Jang Tae-hwan, Chair of the Economic and Labor Committee of the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly (Democratic Party, Uiwang District 2), received a briefing on December 18th from Kim Do-hyung, Director of the Gyeonggi Province Labor Bureau, regarding the recruitment and operational plans for local labor inspectors. They also discussed the organization and staffing operations in preparation for implementing the system, as well as the establishment of on-site inspection frameworks.

In preparation for the December implementation of the “Labor Inspector Duties Enforcement Act,” Gyeonggi Province plans to gradually expand the workforce and organizational structure of local labor inspectors.

The province plans to hire 170 inspectors in the second half of this year, followed by additional recruitment to secure a total of 562 local labor inspectors by 2028.

Accordingly, the province will also establish an operational system to ensure expertise among new personnel and effectively respond to regional inspection demands. It plans to conduct job training provided by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and field inspections for personnel hired in the second half of 2026 before deploying them to the field. It will also gradually expand hub offices while considering the industrial characteristics and workplace distribution of each region.

In particular, the province is reviewing plans to deploy personnel focusing on areas with high demand for labor inspections, such as industrial complexes and regions densely populated with small-scale businesses.

Workplaces with fewer than 30 employees in the province, which are the primary targets for local labor inspectors, number approximately 530,000 establishments, accounting for about 96% of all workplaces. Accordingly, there is a need to efficiently utilize limited inspection personnel while establishing an on-site focused inspection system that can prevent violations of labor relations laws and industrial accidents in advance, rather than focusing on post-violation penalties.

Jang Tae-hwan, Chair of the Economic and Labor Committee of the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly, stated, “Gyeonggi Province has diverse labor environments, including manufacturing, construction, and logistics industries, as well as workplaces employing foreign workers. It is important to establish an inspection system that reflects the characteristics of each industry.” He further emphasized, “By linking with existing projects such as labor safety keepers and village labor consultants, we must establish a field-oriented inspection system that leads to the protection of workers' rights and the prevention of industrial accidents.”