Hyundai’s humanoid robots spark calls for policies protecting jobs
Lawmakers have introduced legislation requiring the government to protect workers from job losses caused by artificial intelligence, amid growing concerns that machines could replace human labour across South Korea’s economy.
The amendment would require the national AI strategy to address “protecting workers’ job security and supporting their transition into new roles” as the labour market evolves, according to a proposal submitted by Rep. Choi Eun-seok and 10 other opposition People Power Party lawmakers.
“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 the proposal.
The bill aims to “clarify the state’s policy basis for tackling employment issues in the AI era and to lay an institutional foundation for preserving the 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 years, rather than drafted hastily in response to recent events. “These days, even in the service sector, you see a lot of automated ordering machines, and many people are losing their jobs because of that,” 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.”
Safeguarding human labour
The proposal follows Hyundai Motor’s announcement last month that it plans to mass-produce Atlas humanoid robots at a new US plant by 2028 and deploy them across assembly lines. Industry analysts estimate each Atlas robot costs about 14 million won ($9,700) annually to maintain and can operate nearly 24 hours daily, compared with workers who cost the company roughly 130 million won per year.
Hyundai Motor’s labour 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 directed at unionised workers.
Yang Kyeung-soo, chairperson of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, which represents more than one million members, addressed the issue at a press conference. “The introduction of AI without a labour-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 labour and what alternatives will be put in place.”
South Korea’s proposed protections mirror international trends. In the United States, federal and state lawmakers are exploring legislation to manage AI-driven job losses, including bills aimed at safeguarding call centre jobs and requiring disclosure of AI use to workers and consumers.
Meanwhile, the European Union’s AI Act sets a framework for high-risk AI systems and encourages employer-led upskilling programmes, while the Platform Work Directive addresses algorithmic management and employment rights for digital workers.
