Sources and Methods: Labour Statistics
Volume 5: Population Censuses

Korea, Republic of

1.Name and address of the organization responsible for the census:

National Statistical Office, Statistical Survey Bureau, Population Statistics Division, 90 Kyeongun-Dong, Jongro-Gu, Seoul 110-310.

2.Population censuses conducted since 1945 (years):

1949, 1955, 1960, 1966, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985 and 1990. The present description relates to the 1990 population census (held on 1st November).

3.Coverage of the census:

(a) Geographical scope

Whole country.

(b) Persons covered

All persons of all ages, except: workers and students living abroad; foreigners working in diplomatic and consular offices and their dependents; foreign military personnel; foreign government employees and their dependents.

4.Reference period:

The reference period used when asking questions on the gainfully worked and not-gainfully worked is a long period, i.e., the twelve months between 1st November 1989 and 31 October 1990.

5.Main topics:

(a) Total population, by sex and age: yes

Economically active population by:

(b) Sex and age group: yes

(c) Industry: yes

(d) Occupation: yes

(e) Status in employment: yes

(f) Highest educational level: yes

(g) Hours of work: no

(h) Other characteristics: no

Re (a): The age is defined in terms of age at last birthday.

6.Concepts and definitions:

(a) Economically active population

Questions concerning economic activity were asked of a 10 per cent sample of persons aged 15 years and over. Members of the armed forces living in barracks and conscripts are excluded from the definition.

(b) Employment

Considered as gainfully worked are all persons aged 15 years and over who, during the reference period (i.e. between 1st November 1989 and 31 October 1990), worked for more than 30 days for pay and intended to continue to work for pay, at home or out of home. The question used to determine if a person is to be counted as gainfully worked is Did the person under survey usually work for pay?. However, a person who started to work for pay immediately before the census date with working duration of less than 30 days but intended to continue to work for pay should be counted as gainfully worked. On the contrary, a person who retired before the census date and did not intend to work for pay further should be excluded from the definition.

It is reported that the following categories are included:

  1. persons doing unpaid work in family firm or business;
  2. employed persons, temporarily absent from work;
  3. working students with a part time job;
  4. seasonal or occasional workers;
  5. apprentices and trainees.
Only persons belonging to categories (i), (ii) and (iii) can be identified separately through replies such as Worked besides doing homework, Had a job but temporarily absent from work, Worked besides attending school, etc.

(c) Unemployment

The not-gainfully worked are all persons who, at the date of the census, were looking for a job, doing homework, attending school, doing nothing, old or ill To determine if a person is to be counted as not-gainfully worked, the question used is the same as that indicated under 6 (b) above. Students seeking work are excluded from the definition.

7.Classifications used:

Only the gainfully worked in the sample are classified by industry, by occupation and by status in employment.

(a) Industry

Based on the questions: What is the type of major product which is produced or the type of main activity which is being done by the company/office where the person is working and Please give the name of the company/office. For coding industry, 90 codes based on the Korean Standard Industrial Classification to the 3-digit level, which links to the ISIC-rev.2, were used.

(b) Occupation

Based on the questions: What is the kind of work in which the person is engaged? and Please give the person's position in the company/office. For coding occupation, 286 codes based on the Korean Standard Classification of Occupations were used. Links to the ISCO-68 have been established to the minor (2-digit) group level.

(c) Status in employment

Based on the question: In which status is the person engaged in the work for pay?. For coding status in employment, four groups were used: employer, self-employed, unpaid family worker, employee.

8.Main differences compared with the previous census:

While in 1980 a labour force approach with a short reference period (i.e. one week before the day of the census) was used when asking questions on the economically active population, employment and unemployment, both in the 1985 and 1990 censuses a gainful worker approach with a long reference period was used when asking such questions as the gainful worker, the not-gainful worker, etc.

Moreover, in 1980 and 1985 the minimum age limit used for the collection of data on the economically active population and its components was 14 years.

9.Publication of the census results:

The title of the publication containing the census results is 1990 Population and Housing Census Report, Vol. 2, 10 Percent Sample, 3-1, Economic Activity.

The organization responsible for this publication is the National Statistical Office, Statistical Survey Bureau, Population Statistics Division, 90 Kyeongun-Dong, Jongro-Gu, Seoul 110-310.

The census results are also available in other forms, i.e. unpublished tables and magnetic tapes.