The workwear market in South Korea is currently thriving. In particular, the demand for functional workwear with protective features is growing rapidly. And that’s no surprise, as the market benefits from several factors that are jointly driving demand higher. Time to take a closer look.
Why Young People Are Turning to Functional Workwear
It’s mainly young people who have helped the workwear industry flourish in recent years. In South Korea, they are encouraged from an early age to study for white-collar jobs. The result is that, once they leave school, competition is fierce in a country that is already highly focused on performance and university education. Job security is unstable, and the threat of automation only makes things worse.
This has led younger generations to show increasing interest in blue-collar professions (53.4% positive perception, only 2.2% negative), which were previously stigmatized. Jobs in construction, maintenance, and logistics now offer greater job security, solid salaries, and relatively easy access. Because there was little interest in these fields in the past, the government even subsidizes vocational training to make them more attractive. The result: more young people are pursuing practical jobs, which in turn increases demand for functional workwear.
More Regulations and the Need for Protection
In parallel with the growing demand from young workers, workplace regulations also play an important role. In South Korea, rules are becoming stricter due to the rising number of workplace accidents. Companies that experience repeated fatal accidents are fined. (source) As a result, workwear manufacturers are encouraged to expand their product range and innovate.
The Korean workwear market was valued at approximately USD 1,089.5 million in 2023 and is expected to reach USD 1,505.0 million by 2030. (source) Looking specifically at the protective workwear market, it was valued at USD 201.44 million in 2021, with forecasts showing continued growth. (source) Beyond workwear, there is also a significant rise in demand for safety footwear.
What This Growth Means
At Boldest, a workwear brand under South Korea’s fashion company Kolon Industries, these changes are visible in practice. The company was founded in 2020 and initially focused on consumers. In 2024, 49% of its customers returned for repeat purchases, and annual sales had doubled.
Due to stricter safety standards and growing demand from companies, Boldest is now increasingly focusing on the business market. They supply workwear to companies including Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Hyundai Motor Company. But according to Park Sung-chul, head of Kolon’s brand division, the company’s ambitions go beyond simply meeting workplace requirements.“Based on Kolon’s more than 50 years of expertise in textile materials, we plan to establish our own safety standards that go beyond domestic regulations,” Sung-chul said at the Korea International Safety and Health Show. (source)
These are interesting developments that also create opportunities for suppliers from other parts of the world to enter the Korean market. Perhaps they will also be interested in our popular multinorm clothing?
Photo Credit: Boldest
