Korea launches language initiative to bridge safety gaps on factory floors

A foreign worker operates machinery at a small auto parts manufacturing plant in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Korea Times file

Korea is launching a new public-private initiative to teach foreign factory workers job-specific Korean language skills, as companies and government officials grapple with growing concerns over workplace safety and communication barriers in industrial sites.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday it signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyundai Motor Group, the King Sejong Institute Foundation and the K-Mobility Bridge Foundation to develop customized Korean language education programs for foreign workers in the manufacturing sector.

The ministry said the number of foreign workers employed in Korea surpassed 1.1 million in 2025, intensifying calls for stronger language education in workplaces where misunderstandings involving instructions and safety rules have become a recurring concern.

Under the partnership, the organizations will develop Korean language textbooks and educational content tailored to manufacturing jobs, focusing on workplace communication and industrial safety.

The initiative expands on existing Korean-language materials already developed for workers in agriculture, fisheries and the MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) industry.

The ministry will oversee policy planning and institutional support, while the King Sejong Institute Foundation will manage curriculum design and content development.

Hyundai Motor Group will support project planning and funding, while strengthening cooperation with domestic and overseas business sites.

The K-Mobility Bridge Foundation will help connect manufacturing companies to the education program and coordinate on-site training.

The ministry said it plans to begin pilot programs this year at around 20 Hyundai Motor Group partner companies before gradually expanding the initiative through 2028.

By then, the program is expected to provide customized Korean language education to more than 1,300 foreign workers at 130 partner firms.

Officials said the educational materials and content developed through the initiative would be released as public resources and could later be expanded to additional industries in coordination with other government agencies.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.