South Korea pushes AI job protection bill following Hyundai’s humanoid robot plans

South Korean lawmakers have introduced legislation aimed at shielding workers from potential job losses caused by artificial intelligence, reflecting growing concern over machines replacing human labor across the country’s economy.

The proposed amendment would require the national AI strategy to explicitly address “protecting workers’ job security and supporting their transition into new roles” as the labor market evolves, according to a proposal submitted by Rep. Choi Eun-seok and 10 other members of the opposition People Power Party.

“As AI and robotics have advanced rapidly in recent years, they have begun to replace not only simple, repetitive jobs but also skilled professionals, spreading employment insecurity across society,” the lawmakers said in their proposal.

The bill seeks to “clarify the state’s policy basis for tackling employment issues in the AI era and to lay an institutional foundation for preserving people’s rights and improving their quality of life,” they added.

An aide to Choi’s office said the legislation has been in development for several years, rather than drafted in response to recent events. “Even in the service sector, you see automated ordering machines replacing people,” the aide told The Korea Times. “We felt there had to be a way to respond and help people move into other kinds of work – if jobs suddenly disappear all at once, it becomes a social problem.”

The move comes after Hyundai Motor last month announced plans to mass-produce Atlas humanoid robots at a new U.S. plant by 2028, with deployment across assembly lines. Analysts estimate each robot costs about 14 million won ($9,700) annually to maintain and can operate nearly 24 hours a day, compared with human workers, who cost roughly 130 million won per year.

Hyundai’s labor union has strongly opposed the plan. President Lee Jae Myung dismissed such resistance, saying people “have to adapt quickly to the new society AI creates,” in remarks apparently aimed at unionized workers.

Yang Kyeung-soo, chairperson of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, which represents over one million members, warned of the social risks. 

“The introduction of AI without a labor-management agreement will rapidly destroy jobs and create a new underclass living in extreme poverty,” Yang said. “Whether it is the adoption of industrial robots or automation, it must proceed only under conditions where there has been sufficient deliberation and agreement on how it will affect labor and what alternatives will be put in place.”

South Korea’s efforts mirror international trends. In the United States, federal and state lawmakers are exploring legislation to manage AI-driven job losses, including bills aimed at protecting call center jobs and requiring disclosure of AI use to workers and consumers.

Meanwhile, the European Union’s AI Act provides a framework for high-risk AI systems and encourages employer-led upskilling programs, while the Platform Work Directive addresses algorithmic management and employment rights for digital workers.

As AI technologies expand, South Korea’s lawmakers are positioning the country to balance innovation with protection for workers, signaling a new era of labor policy in the age of intelligent machines.