Aelim Yun (2026). A Historic Trade Union Law Revision to Expand the Concept of Employer in Korea, COMPARATIVE LABOR LAW & POLICY JOURNAL [DISPATCH]

On 24 August 2025, the Korean National Assembly adopted an amendment to the Trade Union and Labour Relations Adjustment Act (노동조합 및 노동관계조정법, hereafter TULRAA).  The essence of this amendment is to expand the scope of definitions of “employer” and “labour dispute.”

This is a positive outcome of trade unions’ struggle over the past three decades, and thus, unions issued welcoming statements.  In contrast, employers’ organisations fiercely decried it. The European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK) and the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) voiced strong opposition to the amendment (AMCHAM, 2025; ECCK, 2025).

The following sections illustrate the impact of the amendments on Korea’s legal framework for collective bargaining and strike action, and predict the impact of the amendments on the guarantee of collective labour rights, in particular for workers in non-standard forms of employment.