The Korea Industrial Complex Corporation (KICOX) will provide tailored consulting and training to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in industrial complexes implement work-life balance programs, including parental leave and flexible work arrangements.
According to KICOX on the 13th, the initiative is being pursued as part of the Ministry of Employment and Labor's "Industrial Complex Happy Workplace Project." Its core objective is to strengthen field-centered support so that SMEs in industrial complexes can adopt and utilize related programs in line with their workforce conditions and organizational characteristics.
The project is being operated jointly by the Korea Industrial Complex Business Association (KIBA) and the Korean Standards Association, which are carrying out the consulting and training.
Starting with a launch ceremony held at KICOX's Gyeonggi headquarters on April 14 and regional on-site meetings, participant recruitment is currently underway targeting SMEs in major industrial complexes, including Seoul Digital, Banwol-Sihwa, Gumi, Gwangju Cheomdan, and Bitgreen National Industrial Complex.
The consulting goes beyond simple program guidance, focusing on actionable support that reflects the characteristics of manufacturing-centered industrial complexes. After comprehensively diagnosing each company's workforce management practices, working-hour structures, and organizational culture, customized improvement plans are established.
In particular, the program provides ways to link with existing support schemes, including the introduction of flexible work arrangements, the use of maternity protection programs, and government employment incentives. After the consulting, implementation will be continuously monitored, and the program will be structured to spread best practices across industrial complexes.
Participant recruitment through on-site networks is also being carried out in parallel. "As demand for work-life balance is rising at SME worksites, we will actively utilize our field networks to expand the number of participating companies," KIBA Chairman Choi Cheol-ho said. "We will work to create an environment where companies and workers grow together."
"Industrial complexes are the core foundation of Korea's manufacturing industry and the space where workers' lives unfold," KICOX Chairman Lee Sang-hoon said. "We will support tenant companies so they can make practical use of work-life balance programs, helping industrial complexes establish themselves as great places to work."
