South Korea

"이대로면 집 못 짓는다" 술렁…건설업계 뒤집어진 이유 [돈앤톡]

Hankyung | Local Language | News | Sept. 19, 2025 | Supply Chain Issues

The South Korean construction industry is expressing strong concerns over the government's recently introduced "Comprehensive Labor Safety Measures," particularly the restrictions on hiring foreign workers following accidents. The Ministry of Employment and Labor's new policy imposes fines and severe sanctions, including business suspensions and registration cancellations for companies with multiple fatal industrial accidents. Crucially, if an accident causes the death of a foreign worker, employers will face a three-year ban on employing foreign workers, and a one-year ban if a major injury or disease occurs. This restriction applies to all sites under one company, raising fears that construction projects could be halted.

Foreign workers constitute a significant portion of the construction workforce, accounting for 14.7% of the 1.56 million workers in 2024, up from 11.8% in 2020, with actual numbers likely higher due to undocumented labor. Domestic workers tend to avoid the sector, making foreign labor essential, especially in roles like structural work where foreign workers can make up around 80%. Construction companies warn that accident-related hiring bans would severely disrupt operations, as there are not enough domestic workers to fill gaps. Larger companies managing many sites fear widespread project stoppages if foreign worker employment is suspended.

Mid-sized construction firms, which also heavily rely on foreign labor—often from a broad range of countries—highlight additional challenges like language barriers and cultural differences in safety awareness, despite efforts to improve communication and training. These firms insist they have no alternative due to a lack of domestic labor and caution that the hiring restrictions could effectively paralyze many construction sites. Industry representatives argue that the government's safety measures, although aiming to speed up housing supply, risk backfiring by stalling construction due to insufficient workforce availability.

A study by the Korea Construction Policy Research Institute confirms that over 90% of small and medium enterprises rely on foreign workers because of difficulties recruiting domestic labor. Experts note that expanding restrictions from individual construction sites to entire employers is a particularly stringent approach, which may cause significant fallout for firms dependent on foreign labor, further jeopardizing labor availability and housing construction efforts.

에코프로, 인니 제련소 7천억 투자 완료…"연 1800억 이익 발생"

ZD Net Korea | Local Language | News | Sept. 19, 2025 | UndeterminedOperating Results

Ecopro completed its first-phase investment of 700 billion won in four nickel refineries in Indonesia, expecting to secure a stable supply of nickel raw materials and generate an annual profit of 180 billion won by 2030. This investment diversifies Ecopro’s portfolio by entering the refining business and addresses the downturn in secondary battery cathode materials. The company plans a second-phase investment to build additional nickel refineries and an integrated cathode material production line aimed at lowering cathode material prices by 20–30%, driving price-disruptive innovation in ternary battery materials.

Since 2022, Ecopro has invested in four refineries within Indonesia’s Morowali Industrial Park, acquiring stakes of 9-38% in QMB, Meiming, ESG, and Green Eco Nickel, with a total of about 700 billion won. This enables Ecopro to procure about 28,500 tons of mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP) annually, sufficient for roughly 600,000 electric vehicles. The Green Eco Nickel refinery alone generates about 350 billion won in sales and 100 billion won in operating profit annually. Ecopro has already recorded a 56.5 billion won profit in the first half of 2025 and expects to maintain an annual profit of 180 billion won through 2030, combining equity-method and MHP sales profits.

Ecopro will participate in the Indonesian International Green Industrial Park (IGIP) project, investing an initial 50 billion won for a 20% stake in a nickel refinery JV to be built by the end of 2025. The integrated industrial park in Sumbalagi Regency will consolidate raw material refining, precursor production, cathode materials, and battery cell manufacturing. The refinery is projected to produce about 66,000 tons of nickel MHP annually, with plans for further refinery investments that will make Ecopro the largest shareholder and leader of the project.

The integrated production approach in Indonesia will enable Ecopro to reduce logistics and processing costs, significantly lowering production costs for high-nickel ternary cathode materials (NCM). This cost advantage will enhance Ecopro’s competitiveness in mid- and low-priced cathode material markets. The company anticipates building a stable profit structure by combining refining and cathode material businesses and establishing world-class competitiveness through this integrated industrial park.

美의회조사국 "조지아 단속으로 한국내 한미관계 우려 고조"

Newsis | Local Language | News | Sept. 19, 2025 | UndeterminedPolitics and Elections

The U.S. Congressional Research Service (CRS) has highlighted rising concerns in South Korea regarding the ROK-U.S. relationship following a large-scale detention of Korean workers at Hyundai Motor Group's battery plant construction site in Ellabell, Georgia. The report released on September 12 notes that despite a positive atmosphere from the first summit between President Donald Trump and President Lee Jae-myung, challenges remain. The CRS specifically cited the immigration enforcement operation on September 4 as heightening bilateral tensions and raising questions about the compatibility of U.S. immigration policy with efforts to boost manufacturing jobs via foreign investment.

The CRS report also expressed worries that broader Trump administration policies could further complicate regional dynamics. It pointed out that President Trump’s tariffs negatively impact South Korea’s export-driven economy, and the planned partial redeployment of U.S. Forces Korea—with a focus on China—could complicate U.S. efforts to avoid provoking China. Additionally, concerns were raised that President Trump might bypass Seoul in crafting North Korea policy, potentially straining the alliance between South Korea and the United States.