♿ Workplace disability awareness training
Like sexual harassment prevention training, disability awareness training applies to every workplace, but it differs in having a statutory minimum of 1 hour. When bundling it with other subjects in a short session, this subject must not be cut below 1 hour.
Workplaces that employ no people with disabilities are also covered. Employers and all employees must take it, regardless of whether anyone with a disability is employed.
Legal requirements at a glance
Basis: Act on Employment Promotion and Vocational Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities, Articles 5-2 and 5-3 · Enforcement Decree of the same Act, Article 5-2 · Workplace Disability Awareness Training Rules (Ministry of Employment and Labor notice) · Fines: Article 86
| Audience | All employers and employees, regardless of company size. Excluded are employees who work fewer than 60 contractual hours a month (except those with severe disabilities), those hired for fewer than 16 days a month, employees on leave, and non-executive directors. |
|---|---|
| Frequency · Hours | Once a year, at least 1 hour (calendar year, Jan 1–Dec 31). Training under 1 hour is treated as not conducted. |
| Training methods | Classroom, remote, experiential, and simplified training |
| Simplified training | Employers with fewer than 50 regular employees, who have no obligation to employ people with disabilities, can meet the requirement by distributing or posting materials provided by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, or by sending them by email. |
| Instructor qualifications | In-house training is delivered by a professional instructor from the Korea Employment Agency for the Disabled (KEAD) or by an in-house instructor (the employer or an employee). In-house instructors at employers with 300 or more regular employees must have completed KEAD’s in-house instructor training. External instructors are recognized only if they are certified professional instructors. |
| Outsourcing | Outsourcing is allowed only to training institutions designated by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. |
| Fines | KRW 1 million (≈ US$750) for a first offense, KRW 2 million (≈ US$1,500) for a second, and KRW 3 million (≈ US$2,240) for a third or later (weighted by the past 2 years). Failing to keep records for 3 years carries the same amounts. |
| Record keeping | 3 years (electronic records are allowed; if there are multiple worksites, the head office keeps them). Employers with 50 or more employees may receive an order to submit the previous year’s results by January 31. |
What the training must cover
The content is set by the Enforcement Decree.
- Understanding disability and respecting differences
- Human rights of people with disabilities in the workplace, prohibition of discrimination against people with disabilities, and provision of reasonable accommodation
- Laws and systems related to promoting employment of persons with disabilities and vocational rehabilitation
- Anything else needed to raise disability awareness in the workplace
Common points of confusion
Required even without employees with disabilities — The obligation applies whether or not you employ people with disabilities. “We have no employees with disabilities” is not a valid exemption.
Keep the 1-hour minimum when bundling — Squeezing four subjects into 2 hours is common, but disability awareness must run at least 1 hour. Scheduling 1 hour per subject is the safe approach.
External instructors must be certified professionals — If you bring in an outside instructor for in-house training, only a KEAD-certified professional instructor counts. Online content must also be presented or co-produced by a professional or in-house instructor.
Two thresholds: 50 and 300 — Simplified training (distributing materials) applies below 50 employees; in-house instructors need Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities certification at 300 or more. These are different thresholds and are often confused.
When Nanum Consulting delivers it
Nanum Consulting delivers this subject on-site as the Workplace Disability Awareness Training program. Beyond the statutory content, we add practice on “reasonable accommodation” in real work scenarios, so the change in awareness turns into behavioral standards.
For this subject, training counts only if the external instructor is a specialist instructor of the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities. When we reply to your quote request, we also confirm the assigned instructor’s specialist qualification, and we schedule at least the statutory minimum of 1 hour.
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Disability awareness requires at least 1 hour by law. It is common to bundle it with sexual harassment, workplace harassment and personal data protection at 1 hour each.
Disability awareness training — FAQ
How many hours of disability awareness training are required?
Do we need disability awareness training if we have no employees with disabilities?
What is the fine for not providing disability awareness training?
We have few employees. Is it enough to just hand out materials?
Does training by an external instructor count?
View other mandatory training
Legal basis · Sources
- Act on Employment Promotion and Vocational Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities, Article 5-2 (Korea Law Information Center)
- Enforcement Decree of the same Act, Article 5-2
- Workplace Disability Awareness Training Rules (Ministry of Employment and Labor notice)
The governing law, who is covered, hours, and fines may vary by workplace size, industry, and legal amendments. This page is general information to aid understanding. Please check the relevant laws and your local Ministry of Employment and Labor office to confirm how they apply to your workplace. .