[Exclusive] 100 Employment Restriction Regulations for 'Junior College and High School Graduates' to Be Lifted

Current Law Discriminates in Employment and Promotion Based on Education
High School Graduates Barred from Executive Positions, Grade 1 Qualification Limited to 4-Year Graduates
Legislation Office Eases Education Requirements in 15 Government Ministries

Mr. A, who was preparing to change jobs after seeing a recent announcement from an adoption agency, received a shocking piece of news. Despite graduating from a specialized high school in Seoul with a major in Early Childhood Care and having relevant experience, he was informed that he could not work at the adoption agency. The enforcement regulations of the Special Adoption Act, which require a four-year university degree to work as an adoption counselor, became a stumbling block. Mr. A lamented, “Although child protection agencies claim to have a manpower shortage, the current law discriminates by allowing only four-year university graduates to work.”

The government is set to overhaul about 100 employment discrimination regulations. The main point is to relax employment and promotion requirements from “four-year university graduates” to “graduates of junior colleges or high schools.” The government aims to eliminate labor market inequalities where people with skills and abilities cannot find jobs simply because they did not attend university.

According to a comprehensive report by Asia Economy on the 10th, the government will ease educational requirements in laws under the jurisdiction of 15 ministries, including the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Employment and Labor. The goal is to eliminate employment and promotion discrimination based on education by expanding laws unified around four-year universities to include junior college and high school graduates. The Ministry of Government Legislation is the main department in charge, with 66 laws and 93 tasks slated for revision. The tasks will be finalized through inter-ministerial consultations by August at the latest, followed by party-government consultations and legislative notice in September, and then submitted to the Cabinet meeting in November.

An official from the relevant ministries explained, “We are reviewing tasks to relax provisions that currently require a four-year university degree by referring to existing laws with more flexible educational requirements,” adding, “This is being promoted as part of a national agenda to expand youth participation.”

The deregulation will be carried out mainly in two types: ‘Type 1 (Junior College Graduate)’ and ‘Type 2 (High School Graduate or Completion of Separate Educational Program).’ Type 1 applies when specialized knowledge equivalent to an associate degree or higher is required or when high standards for practical experience exist. Type 2 applies when related educational programs are available in high school or when practical experience can secure job competency. Both types allow for some level of practical experience to be required, considering the nature of the work.

Even Level 2 Speech Therapists Cannot Obtain Level 1 Certification Without a Four-Year Degree

The government’s move to ease educational requirements aims to resolve youth employment market inequalities and expand opportunities for economic participation. Currently, some laws stipulate employment qualifications or personnel requirements as four-year university graduates. This has led to many cases where junior college graduates and high school graduates are excluded. In particular, there have been cases where graduates from specialized high schools, who have skills and work abilities, could not access employment opportunities due to regulations.

A representative example is the Act on the Development of the Floriculture Industry. The enforcement decree specifies that to be designated as a dedicated institution for promoting floriculture culture, there must be at least three people who graduated from the horticulture or landscaping departments of a general university. Although junior colleges also offer horticulture and landscaping courses, the regulation makes it difficult for junior college graduates to apply. Even if high school graduates work diligently as service workers in the region, they cannot challenge executive positions (Social Service Support Act), or even if they hold a Level 2 speech therapist certificate, they cannot challenge Level 1 certification for life without a four-year university degree (Welfare of Persons with Disabilities Act), revealing discriminatory promotion regulations.

As a result, not only students who graduated from junior colleges or high schools but also civil society and international organizations have pointed out these problems. According to the Specialized High School Rights Union, 26.3% of graduates feel difficulties in finding employment, and 11.8% say there is a lack of employment opportunities. Last year, a civic group filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission, claiming that local government youth internship programs had clauses disallowing high school graduates from applying. In February, Stefano Scarpetta, Director of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs at the OECD, met with Korean Ambassador Ahn Eui-hwan and pointed out that “Korea needs to overcome social prejudice against choosing vocational training education.”

President Yoon Suk-yeol has also ordered the expansion of high school graduate employment through the revitalization of specialized high schools. If employment discrimination against high school graduates is not resolved, it will be difficult to nurture skilled technical talents and solve the problem of vacant jobs. Earlier this year, President Yoon reportedly told his aides several times, “Although the domestic university enrollment rate reaches 70%, companies lack the talent they need.”