AI job risk in South Korea
In South Korea, the exposure of occupations to generative AI is measured on a 0–10 scale based on how much of a job's tasks may be automated or reshaped by AI. Among 537 occupations covering 33.3 million workers, the employment-weighted average exposure score is 5.2, indicating a moderate level of overall exposure. It is important to note that this score does not predict job losses; rather, it identifies roles where AI is most likely to change or augment tasks first, highlighting areas for reskilling and adaptation.
Occupations with the highest exposure scores (10/10) include Accounting Clerks, Statistical Clerks, Securities Clerks, and Stenographers, as these roles involve repetitive, data-intensive administrative tasks that AI can perform efficiently. Other highly exposed roles include Administrative Assistants, Online Sales Representatives, and General Affairs Clerks (9/10). In contrast, least exposed roles (1/10) are hands-on jobs such as Kitchen Assistants, Forklift Operators, Construction and Mining Laborers, and Fast Food Prep Workers, where physical dexterity and in-person interaction are critical. Across industries, Business, Finance & Legal and IT & Digital have the highest average exposure (8.1/10), followed by Creative, Media & Personal Services (6.5/10), while lower-exposure industries tend to involve manual or service-oriented work.
20 jobs most exposed to AI in South Korea
| # | Occupation | Code | Exposure | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accounting Clerk | 02711 | 10/10 | 350,000 |
| 2 | Accounting Clerk | 02721 | 10/10 | 180,000 |
| 3 | Statistical Clerk | 02933 | 10/10 | 76,000 |
| 4 | Securities Clerk | 03221 | 10/10 | 52,000 |
| 5 | Stenographer | 02992 | 10/10 | 4,300 |
| 6 | Administrative Assistant | 02951 | 9/10 | 450,000 |
| 7 | Online Sales Representative | 61531 | 9/10 | 450,000 |
| 8 | General Affairs Clerk | 02631 | 9/10 | 180,000 |
| 9 | Customer Service Representative | 02921 | 9/10 | 180,000 |
| 10 | Advertising, Public Relations, and Marketing Specialist | 02411 | 9/10 | 180,000 |
| 11 | Web Developer | 13331 | 9/10 | 180,000 |
| 12 | Receptionist | 02911 | 9/10 | 150,000 |
| 13 | Bank Teller | 03211 | 9/10 | 140,000 |
| 14 | Advertising, PR, and Marketing Clerk | 02612 | 9/10 | 120,000 |
| 15 | Sales Planning, Management and Support Clerk | 02613 | 9/10 | 120,000 |
| 16 | Secretary | 02941 | 9/10 | 120,000 |
| 17 | Telemarketer | 61301 | 9/10 | 120,000 |
| 18 | Teller/Clerk at Financial Institution | 03241 | 9/10 | 88,000 |
| 19 | Information System Operator | 13431 | 9/10 | 85,000 |
| 20 | Systems Software Developer | 13311 | 9/10 | 65,000 |
20 jobs least exposed to AI in South Korea
| # | Occupation | Code | Exposure | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kitchen Assistant | 53231 | 1/10 | 350,000 |
| 2 | Forklift Operator | 62302 | 1/10 | 280,000 |
| 3 | Construction and Mining Laborers | 70601 | 1/10 | 250,000 |
| 4 | Concrete Worker | 70141 | 1/10 | 180,000 |
| 5 | Construction and Mining Machinery Operator | 70401 | 1/10 | 180,000 |
| 6 | Fast Food Prep Worker | 53211 | 1/10 | 150,000 |
| 7 | Rebar Worker | 70131 | 1/10 | 120,000 |
| 8 | Building Painter | 70261 | 1/10 | 120,000 |
| 9 | Laundry Worker (Ironer) | 56151 | 1/10 | 92,000 |
| 10 | Bricklayer | 70171 | 1/10 | 85,000 |
| 11 | Wallpaper Hanger | 70251 | 1/10 | 80,000 |
| 12 | Sheet Metal Worker and Sheet Metal Machine Operator | 82211 | 1/10 | 80,000 |
| 13 | Meat Butcher and Slaughterhouse Worker | 87211 | 1/10 | 72,000 |
| 14 | Tile and Marble Installer | 70241 | 1/10 | 72,000 |
| 15 | Plasterer | 70211 | 1/10 | 68,000 |
| 16 | Steel Structure Fabricator and Erector | 70111 | 1/10 | 45,000 |
| 17 | Tire and rubber product production machine operator | 85211 | 1/10 | 45,000 |
| 18 | Painter (Spray Painter) | 82511 | 1/10 | 28,000 |
| 19 | Cement and Mineral Product Production Machine Operator | 82631 | 1/10 | 18,000 |
| 20 | Woodworking Machine Operator | 88211 | 1/10 | 15,000 |
AI exposure by industry
| Industry | Occupations | Employed | Avg. exposure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business, Finance & Legal | 61 | 5,008,700 | 8/10 |
| IT & Digital | 26 | 1,568,000 | 8/10 |
| Creative, Media & Personal Services | 70 | 1,479,300 | 7/10 |
| Engineering & Infrastructure | 58 | 1,255,300 | 6/10 |
| Education & Community | 37 | 2,178,800 | 6/10 |
| Government & Public Sector | 20 | 978,900 | 6/10 |
| Hospitality, Retail & Tourism | 52 | 7,842,400 | 5/10 |
| Transport, Logistics & Mining | 20 | 1,642,000 | 5/10 |
| Healthcare & Care | 62 | 3,815,800 | 4/10 |
| Agriculture & Environment | 18 | 1,116,700 | 3/10 |
| Trades & Construction | 113 | 6,460,623 | 2/10 |
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Frequently asked questions
How much AI risk do jobs in South Korea face?
Across 537 occupations covering about 33,346,523 workers, South Korea has an employment-weighted average generative-AI exposure of 5.2 on a 0–10 scale — an elevated level. A higher score means a larger share of a role's day-to-day tasks can already be performed or assisted by AI.
Which jobs in South Korea are most at risk from AI?
The most exposed occupations in South Korea are Accounting Clerk, Accounting Clerk, Statistical Clerk, Securities Clerk, Stenographer. These are roles built around routine information work — writing, data handling and analysis — that large language models already handle well.
Which jobs in South Korea are least exposed to AI?
The least exposed occupations include Kitchen Assistant, Forklift Operator, Construction and Mining Laborers. Physical, hands-on and in-person tasks are much harder for current AI to automate, so these roles score low.
Does a high AI exposure score mean the job will be lost?
No. Exposure measures how much of a role's tasks AI can perform or assist with — not whether the job will disappear. A high score flags where AI is most likely to reshape tasks first, and where workers may benefit from building complementary skills.
Which industries in South Korea are most exposed to AI?
By employment-weighted average exposure, the most exposed industries in South Korea are Business, Finance & Legal, IT & Digital, Creative, Media & Personal Services.
How is the AI exposure score calculated?
Every occupation is scored 0–10 by combining two published research datasets — the ILO's Working Paper 140 index and OpenAI's ‘GPTs are GPTs’ task-exposure study — mapped onto South Korea's official occupation classification and ranked on a single global percentile scale so scores stay comparable between countries.
Methodology & sources
Every occupation is scored 0–10 for generative-AI exposure by combining two open, published research datasets — the ILO's Working Paper 140 index and OpenAI's GPTs are GPTs task-exposure study — mapped onto South Korea's official occupation classification, then ranked on a single global percentile scale so the numbers stay comparable between countries. Tile area is the size of each occupation's workforce, from official statistics. Full methodology & data sources →
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