The Korean Labor Law Bible - Basic Guide to Labor Management -Announcement of the 7th Revised Edition Release and Introduction of Changes



Climate change, digitalization, ultra-low birth rates and super-aging, polarization and inequality, the dual structure of the labor market, and job reductions have put the sustainability of the nation and society at risk. Amid these changes, I believe that labor law will provide universal standards for conflict resolution and the path toward a sustainable society.
Since publication of The Korean Labor Law Bible in January 2005, six more editions have been published: the 2nd Edition in September 2006, the 3rd Edition in March 2009, the 4th Edition in May 2011, the 5th Edition in June 2016 and the 6th Edition in January 2021. Now, three years later, this is the 7th and most expansive edition yet. As this and past editions have been made possible by my regular readers who have bought this book, I would like to express appreciation first to my customers.
I have been giving English lectures on labor law based on the editions of this book for more than 18 years, and for the last 18 years, have also contributed bilingual articles on labor issues to the monthly magazine, Labor Law . I hold an MA from Korea University Graduate School of Labor Studies and the PhD degree on Labor Law at the Graduate School of Ajoo University. This 7th Edition has been improved by including more practical cases and examples from my own work as a labor attorney. Also in the expansion are excerpts from my labor law lectures, previous formal studies of labor law, and bilingual article contributions.
The improvements in this 7th Edition can be seen in both content and structure. Firstly, the content has been updated to include the most recently established and revised labor laws, as well as the Supreme Court en banc rulings on ordinary wages, as of January 19, 2025. Secondly, I have inserted into each section labor issues from articles that I have contributed to the monthly magazine Labor Law. Thirdly, in the Korean version, I have attempted to update, supplement, and add contents on the advice of my academic advisor, professor Seung-gil Lee, chairman of the Korean Society of Labor Law, and to whom I am most grateful. Thanks also, Mr. Gavin C. Farrell, Professor in the Department of English Linguistics of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, who reviewed the contents as an English language advisor. This edition has been reconstructed based upon the author’s extended experience and consequently deeper knowledge, again grateful for my advisors’ full support and direction.
Finally, I would like to thank those who have assisted me in revising and editing the 7th Edition. I would like to extend my special thanks specifically to Taeyoon Kim and Gayoung Choi of Jungang Publishing, Advisor Haesun Kim, Labor Attorneys Jihyun Ahn, Euikeun Park, Kemmy Kim, Daejoon Shin, Moonbae Park, and my longtime friend and proofreading editor, Dave Crofton. Without these people, this upgraded 7th Edition of the Korean Labor Law Bible would not have been possible.

February 20, 2025

Bongsoo Jung, Author