The Foreign Investment Employment Law was introduced in 2011 as part of a surge of legislation designed to improve the climate for foreign investment. Before it, the legislation only covered conditions for employment by domestic enterprises (the Socialism Employment Law) and employment by foreign entities in the now closed Kaesong Industrial Complex.

Awareness of the terms of employment for Korean workers by foreign entities is, of course, essential for those considering doing business in DPRK.  But with increasing international attention about Korean workers – for example, whether they should be described as ‘slaves’ – the issue is also important for