Around the world, people with disabilities are less likely to be employed than people without disabilities.

In South Korea, the employment rate stands at 36.1 percent for people with disabilities, while the figure for those without a disability is 63 percent.

The Korean government and public organizations are required by law to retain 3.4 percent of jobs for individuals with disabilities. In the private sector, companies with more than 50 employees are mandated to fill 3.1 percent of the payroll list with workers with disabilities. Failure to comply results in penalties.

As of December 2022, there are 278,823 workers with disabilities employed in 31,455 firms under this mandatory hiring rule.

Is South Korea really becoming more diverse? The Korea Herald offers a reality check by examining data on representation in the fields of politics, business and society according to gender, age, ability, sexual identity and nationality. A complete version of this series was printed in the Jan. 2 edition of The Korea Herald. – Ed.