Comprehensive Summary of Targets, Hours, and Fines for the 5 Major Mandatory Statutory Educations

5 Since the application criteria for statutory mandatory training vary depending on the size of the workplace and whether the system is in operation, HR managers must verify the target audience, duration, and penalties for each training session separately.

Key Summary

Education Name	Main targets	Training time	Fines and Sanctions Criteria
Workplace disability awareness training	Employers and workers	Once a year, for at least one hour	A fine of up to 3 million won for failure to implement or violation of the obligation to retain data
Industrial Safety and Health Education	5 Focus on workplaces with 1 or more employees, excluding certain industries	Varies by job function and industry	Fines of up to 5 million won for failure to conduct regular or recruitment training, and up to 30 million won for failure to conduct special training, etc.
Workplace sexual harassment prevention training	All workplaces employing workers	At least once a year	A fine of up to 5 million won for failure to conduct or post training content
Personal Information Protection Training	Persons processing personal information, personal information handlers	Regular training is necessary; 1-2 times a year is recommended.	Sanctions are possible for leaks or insufficient safety measures, rather than a fixed fine solely for failure to conduct training.
Retirement Pension Education	Retirement pension scheme subscribers	At least once a year	A fine of up to 10 million won for non-compliance

Generally, the five major mandatory legal trainings are workplace disability awareness training. , Industrial Safety and Health Education , Workplace sexual harassment prevention training , Personal Information Protection Training , I am talking about retirement pension education. . However, not all training applies equally to all workplaces. , Workplace size , Industry , Whether personal information is processed , Targets and time depending on whether a retirement pension system is introduced , The criteria for administrative fines are changing. .

The Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities' guide to the five major statutory mandatory training courses also organizes the five training courses as workplace disability awareness training, industrial safety and health training, workplace sexual harassment prevention training, personal information protection training, and retirement pension training.

5 What is mandatory legal education?

5 "Major statutory mandatory training" is a practical term used to collectively refer to the key training that companies are required to conduct regularly in accordance with relevant laws. To be precise, these are not regulated under a single law as the "five major trainings," but rather each training is based on different laws.

Therefore, rather than deciding at once whether “our company needs to conduct all five major trainings,” the person in charge should check the following items separately for each training.

Confirmation items	Reasons why you need to check
Workplace size	The applicability of industrial safety and health training, etc., may vary depending on the scale and industry.
Employment status of workers	Sexual harassment prevention training applies to workplaces employing workers.
Whether personal information is processed	Training for personal information handlers is required when processing personal information.
Whether or not a retirement pension system is operated	Retirement pension education is required if there are participants in the retirement pension system.
Whether educational materials are stored	If the fact that training was conducted cannot be proven, it may be deemed as not conducted.

In practice, issues such as “omission of participants,” “insufficient training time,” “failure to retain supporting documents,” and “incorrect guidance from private institutions” are more frequently problems than the training itself.

Who needs to check?

5 It is recommended that relevant departments review mandatory legal training together rather than the HR manager managing it alone.

manager	Things to check
HR manager	Training schedule, list of participants, completion status, management of new hires, employees on leave, and employees returning from leave
Safety and Health Officer	Target audience, training hours, and training content by job function for industrial safety and health education
Management Support Manager	Educational institution contract, costs, supporting documents, internal notice
Privacy Officer	Personal information handler training, internal management plan, access control management
Retirement pension manager	Retirement pension subscriber education, whether it is outsourced to a retirement pension provider
Manager/Team Leader	Encouraging training participation, preventing field workers from being omitted, and managing post-training implementation.

Managing trainees can be particularly complex in organizations with multiple branches, shift work, field staff, part-time workers, and new hires. It is not enough to simply schedule training; you must also identify who is eligible for training, who is exempt, and who requires additional training.

Procedures that the person in charge must check

1. We differentiate the training applicable to our company.

First, instead of applying all five major mandatory legal trainings equally, you must identify the training that actually applies to our company.

Education Name	Application Judgment Criteria
Workplace disability awareness training	Verify if it is a workplace with an employer and employees.
Industrial Safety and Health Education	5 Check eligibility, industry exclusion, and job classification
Workplace sexual harassment prevention training	Verify whether it is a workplace employing workers
Personal Information Protection Training	Verify whether there are tasks involving the processing of personal information and personnel handling personal information.
Retirement Pension Education	DB Check if there are any subscribers to the Type 0 or Defined Contribution (DC) retirement pension schemes.

The Korea Employment Agency for the Disabled’s guide to the five major statutory mandatory trainings explains industrial safety and health training primarily for workplaces with five or more employees, but also notes that some industries are excluded.

2. Organize the target audience and time for each training session.

The target audience and duration of training vary by course. If you attempt to handle everything at once with a “1-hour training for all employees,” some training sessions may not meet the time or content standards.

Education Name	Target	hour
Workplace disability awareness training	Employers and all workers	Once a year, for at least one hour
Industrial Safety and Health Education	Workers, new hires, those with changed work duties, those subject to special training, supervisors, etc.	Varies by curriculum
Workplace sexual harassment prevention training	Employers and workers	At least once a year
Personal Information Protection Training	Personal information processor, personal information handler	Conduct necessary training regularly
Retirement Pension Education	Retirement pension scheme subscribers	At least once a year

Workplace disability awareness training must be conducted at least once a year for one hour and applies to all employers and employees. Workplace sexual harassment prevention training must be conducted by the employer at least once a year, and if it is difficult to verify whether the training content has been conveyed through mere distribution or posting of materials, it cannot be considered as training.

In accordance with Article 29 of the Industrial Safety and Health Act, industrial safety and health education is divided into regular education, education upon hiring, education upon changes in work content, and special education, and the enforcement rules stipulate that the education hours and education content are specified in Annex 4 and Annex 5, respectively.

3. Check the penalty standards by education level.

Fines are applied differently depending on the type of training. In particular, regarding personal information protection training, rather than assuming that a fixed fine is immediately imposed solely for the failure to conduct the training, one must consider the personal information processor's obligations of management, supervision, and training, as well as whether safety measures have been implemented.

Education Name	Fines and Sanctions Criteria
Workplace disability awareness training	A fine of up to 3 million won for failure to conduct training or violation of the obligation to retain training materials for 3 years.
Industrial Safety and Health Education	Failure to conduct regular training or recruitment training may result in a fine of up to 5 million won, while failure to conduct special training, etc., may result in a fine of up to 30 million won.
Workplace sexual harassment prevention training	A fine of up to 5 million won for failure to conduct training or post training content
Personal Information Protection Training	Risk of sanctions arises if the obligations for managing, supervising, and educating personal information handlers, as well as safety assurance measures, are insufficient.
Retirement Pension Education	A fine of up to 10 million won for failure to conduct training at least once a year

Failure to conduct workplace disability awareness training or violation of the obligation to retain training-related materials for three years may result in an administrative fine of up to 3 million won. The Occupational Safety and Health Act stipulates an administrative fine of up to 5 million won for violations of Article 29, Paragraphs 1 and 2, and an administrative fine of up to 30 million won for violations of special training under Article 29, Paragraph 3.

Failure to conduct workplace sexual harassment prevention training or fail to post the training content may result in a fine of up to 5 million won. Employers who have established a defined benefit or defined contribution retirement pension plan must provide retirement pension training to participants at least once a year, and failure to do so may result in a fine of up to 10 million won.

4. We manage training methods and supporting documents.

Training can be conducted through offline group training, online training, in-house training, or external outsourced training. However, more important than the training method is whether the content required by law is included, whether the participants actually completed the training, and whether supporting documentation remains.

It is recommended that the person in charge organize the following materials by training.

Supporting documents	Management purpose
Education plan	Confirm annual training schedule and target audience
Educational materials	Check if legally required content is included
List of Attendees	Check completion status for each participant
Online Certificate	Proof of completion of remote education
Education photos or records	Proof of offline training progress
Educational Institution Contract	Proof of external commissioned training
Storage period criteria	Verification of data retention obligations by education

In particular, since records related to workplace disability awareness training must be kept for three years, completion status and data storage must be managed together.

Practical Checklist

item	check
We have categorized the five major mandatory legal training courses applicable to our company by type.	□
I compiled a list of participants for each training session.	□
We verified whether new hires, returning employees, employees on leave, and dispatched/outsourced personnel were eligible for training.	□
Industrial safety and health training was divided by time based on industry, job function, and whether the person was a supervisor.	□
Workplace sexual harassment prevention training was conducted at least once a year, and the training content was posted and displayed.	□
Workplace disability awareness training was conducted at least once a year for one hour.	□
Regular personal information protection training was conducted for personal information handlers.	□
Retirement pension education was provided to retirement pension scheme participants at least once a year.	□
Educational materials, attendance lists, certificates of completion, and training logs were kept.	□
When using external educational institutions, we verified whether they were official institutions and the appropriateness of the educational content.	□
After the training, actual support procedures such as grievance handling, counseling, reporting, and EAP were also provided.	□

parts that are often missed

first There are cases where the five major mandatory legal training courses are treated as a single integrated training course. While some content can be provided together, it is safer to prepare internal management sheets separately for each course, as the legal basis, target audience, duration, and proof standards differ for each.

Second There are many cases where penalties for failure to conduct personal information protection training are misrepresented. While the management, supervision, and education of personal information handlers are crucial for personal information protection training, it is difficult to simplify the process by imposing a "fixed fine immediately for non-compliance," as is done with other types of training. The Personal Information Protection Commission advises that training must be conducted for personal information handlers to ensure their proper handling, and the internal management plan under the Enforcement Decree includes matters regarding the management, supervision, and training of personal information handlers.

third There are cases where people mistakenly believe that retirement pension education applies to all employees. However, retirement pension education applies only if there are employees enrolled in the retirement pension system. Businesses that operate only a severance pay system and have not established a retirement pension system must separately verify whether it applies.

Fourth There are cases where the storage of educational materials is overlooked. Even if the training was actually conducted, it is difficult to prove compliance later without certificates of completion, attendance lists, training materials, or logs.

Fifth There are cases where people are swayed by the exaggerated sales tactics of private institutions. Notices such as “a fine will be imposed immediately if you do not receive training today” or “you must receive it at a specific institution” require verification. The Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities (KEAPD) advises that regarding disability awareness training, the agency does not force individual businesses to participate in the training or recommend specific instructors or training institutions.

EAP Situations where it is needed

Mandatory legal training is a fundamental mechanism for regulatory compliance, but education alone cannot resolve all organizational issues. Issues such as sexual harassment, bullying, discrimination against persons with disabilities, safety accidents, personal information leaks, and organizational conflicts may require actual counseling, investigation, and recovery support following the training.

In the following situations, you may consider EAP or external counseling and organizational support systems together.

situation	EAP Directions for use
Anxiety among employees increases following reports of workplace sexual harassment and bullying	Psychological support for victims, manager response coaching
Conflict arises between disabled workers and colleagues	Support for internal communication, manager training
Employee anxiety and trauma appeared after the safety accident	Crisis intervention, psychological emergency support
The burden on the person in charge has increased following the personal information leak incident.	Stress counseling, organizational communication support
Mandatory training was conducted, but it did not lead to an improvement in organizational culture.	Organizational diagnosis, leadership training, recurrence prevention program

The key to mandatory legal training is not merely the completion of the education, but the establishment of actual behavioral standards following the training. EAP can be utilized as a complementary system that connects grievances, conflicts, psychological burdens, and crisis responses arising after legal training.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. 5 Do all companies have to conduct mandatory legal training?

It is difficult to assume that all companies conduct all five types of training in the exact same manner. For example, retirement pension training applies only if there are employees enrolled in the retirement pension plan, and the applicability and duration of industrial safety and health training may vary depending on the industry and company size. Therefore, you must first verify eligibility for each company.

Q2. 5 Is it okay to conduct the mandatory legal training all at once in one day?

While it may be possible in some cases, the essential content and duration for each training session must be met. In particular, since the duration of industrial safety and health training varies depending on the job and curriculum, and disability awareness training requires a minimum of one hour per year, it is advisable to manage the completion hours and documentation for each training session separately, even when operating as integrated training.

Q3. Is it recognized as online education?

Online training may also be utilized if the criteria for each type of training are met. However, simply sending materials or posting them on a bulletin board may make it difficult to verify whether the training content was actually delivered. The system must be operated in a way that allows for the verification of completion status, training hours, content, and the list of participants.

Q4. Is there a fine for personal information protection training as well?

Personal information protection training is related to the obligations of management, supervision, and training for personal information handlers. However, rather than assuming that a fine of a fixed amount will be immediately imposed merely for failing to conduct the training, as is the case with other statutory training, it is safer to review the risk of sanctions in conjunction with personal information leakage, insufficient safety measures, and inadequate internal management plans.

Q5. If the training is outsourced to an external agency, does the company's liability disappear?

While some training can be outsourced to external organizations, the employer is fundamentally the entity responsible for conducting the training. Therefore, even when using an external agency, the company must ultimately verify the training content, participant completion, certificates, attendance lists, and the retention of records.

Next step

If you wish to go beyond simple completion management for mandatory legal training and operate a system that includes organizational risk prevention, grievance response, and employee mental health support, review the training, counseling, and organizational support methods tailored to your organization through a Nudge EAP implementation consultation.

👉 Go to Nudge EAP Implementation Consultation →

source

Korea Employment Agency for the Disabled: 5 Major Mandatory Statutory Training at a Glance
Korea Employment Agency for the Disabled, Explanation of Workplace Disability Awareness Training System
Korea Employment Agency for the Disabled, Notice on Mandatory Workplace Disability Awareness Training
National Law Information Center, Article 29 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act
National Law Information Center, Article 26 of the Enforcement Rules of the Occupational Safety and Health Act
National Law Information Center, Article 175 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act
National Law Information Center, Article 3 of the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Equal Employment Opportunities for Men and Women and Support for Work-Family Balance
National Law Information Center, Article 39 of the Act on Equal Employment Opportunities for Men and Women and Support for Work-Family Balance
Personal Information Protection Commission Personal Information Portal, Personal Information Protection Education Guide
National Law Information Center, Article 30 of the Enforcement Decree of the Personal Information Protection Act
National Law Information Center, Article 32 of the Employee Retirement Benefit Guarantee Act
National Law Information Center, Article 48 of the Employee Retirement Benefit Guarantee Act

This content is intended for general informational purposes. Specific legal, labor, medical, and psychological counseling matters may vary depending on workplace conditions and the latest laws, so review by relevant experts may be necessary.

Mandatory Workplace Training Overview