Korea Labour & Society Institute

The Korea Labour & Society Institute (KLSI; Korean: 한국노동사회연구소) is one of South Korea's representative labour-movement think tanks. It was founded on 28 April 1995, succeeding the Korean Labour Education Association (한국노동교육협회), which had been established on 26 April 1986. Its founding officers were chairman Kim Jin-kyun (a Seoul National University professor), director Kim Keum-soo (former representative of the Korean Labour Education Association) and deputy director Lee Won-bo (former policy director of the textile workers' federation). KLSI carries out research, education and publishing for the labour movement, and publishes the monthly magazine Labour & Society (노동사회). Its researchers, including senior research fellow Kim Yu-seon, work on issues such as non-regular employment and the minimum wage. Originally located in Hoehyeon-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, the institute moved to Gongdeok-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul in 2013. As of July 2015 its leadership comprised chairman Lee Won-bo (former chairman of the Central Labour Relations Commission) and director Noh Kwang-pyo (former deputy director of KLSI). Beyond research output, KLSI runs labour forums, issue papers and education programmes. In March–April 2017 it hosted a Wednesday economics lecture series for union officials with support from the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the think tank of the German Social Democratic Party, covering topics such as inequality, economic growth, labour, finance, economic democratisation and the social economy. The institute also operates employment and labour relations expert courses and, through the Korean Workplace Harassment Research Centre, engages in public debate on workplace dignity and safety. Its website publishes issue papers, the Labour & Society journal, labour diaries and overseas case studies, positioning KLSI as a bridge between academic labour research and union practice in South Korea.

The Korea Labour & Society Institute traces its origins to the Korean Labour Education Association (한국노동교육협회), established on 26 April 1986. That body provided education for the labour movement during a period of rapid industrialisation and political struggle in South Korea. On 28 April 1995, the association was succeeded by the Korea Labour & Society Institute, founded as a dedicated labour think tank. Its first officers were chairman Kim Jin-kyun, a professor at Seoul National University; director Kim Keum-soo, former representative of the Korean Labour Education Association; and deputy director Lee Won-bo, former policy director of the textile workers' federation. From its founding, KLSI combined research, education and publishing for the labour movement. It began publishing the monthly magazine Labour & Society (노동사회), which became a key outlet for labour analysis and debate. The institute was initially located in Hoehyeon-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, and in 2013 moved to Gongdeok-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Over the decades, KLSI researchers have focused on core labour-market issues such as non-regular employment and the minimum wage. Senior research fellow Kim Yu-seon is among the institute's prominent researchers in these areas. By July 2015, the leadership included chairman Lee Won-bo, a former chairman of the Central Labour Relations Commission, and director Noh Kwang-pyo, a former deputy director of KLSI. KLSI has also engaged in international exchange and education. In March and April 2017, it hosted a Wednesday economics lecture series for union officials with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the think tank affiliated with the German Social Democratic Party. The series covered inequality, economic growth, labour, finance, economic democratisation and the social economy, bringing scholars together with union activists and members. The institute runs labour forums, publishes issue papers and maintains education programmes such as the employment and labour relations expert course, whose cohorts have included the fifth through eighth classes in the early 2020s. It also works with the Korean Workplace Harassment Research Centre on public debates and legislative proposals concerning workplace bullying, dignity and safety. Its website serves as a platform for issue papers, the Labour & Society journal, labour diaries, overseas case studies and translations, reflecting its continuing role as a bridge between labour research and union practice in South Korea.

• Korean Labour Education Association founded, the predecessor of KLSI.

• Korea Labour & Society Institute founded with Kim Jin-kyun as chairman, Kim Keum-soo as director and Lee Won-bo as deputy director.

• Institute moved from Hoehyeon-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul to Gongdeok-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul.

• Leadership comprised chairman Lee Won-bo and director Noh Kwang-pyo.

• Hosted Wednesday economics lectures for union officials with support from the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

• Employment and labour relations expert course completion ceremony held.

• Fifth employment and labour relations expert course entrance ceremony.

• Sixth employment and labour relations expert course completion ceremony.

• Seventh employment and labour relations expert course entrance ceremony.

• Eighth labour relations expert course completion ceremony.

A labour-movement think tank linking academic research, union education and public policy debate in South Korea.

• Labour & Society (노동사회) monthly magazine

  Monthly journal publishing labour and social analysis; issue no. 205 (2026, no. 2) released.

• KLSI issue papers

  Policy briefs on labour legislation, employment indicators, labour directors and fixed-term work.

• Employment and labour relations expert course

  Training programme for labour relations professionals, with multiple cohorts since the early 2020s.

• Labour forums

  Public forums on labour policy and union education, including 2026 forums on the past and future of Korean union education.

1. 1한국노동사회연구소 공식 웹사이트klsi.org
2. 2한국노동사회연구소 - 위키백과ko.wikipedia.org
3. 3Korea Labour & Society Institute - Wikidatawikidata.org