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More than one in 10 teenagers with work experience in Korea started working to earn money before the age of 13, a recent survey has found. The findings underscore a growing trend of younger children entering the labor market, prompting calls for stronger measures to protect them from wage exploitation and verbal abuse.

The survey, conducted by the National Youth Policy Institute as part of its report "Research on Youth Employment Status and Policy Measures," questioned 7,212 students, including 2,902 middle schoolers and 4,310 high schoolers.

Of the 1,414 respondents who answered that they had worked to earn money, 11.3 percent reported starting work before the age of 13. Another 23.2 percent began between the ages of 13 and 15, and 60.9 percent between the ages of 15 and 18.

Although Korea's Labor Standards Act generally prohibits employing individuals under the age of 15, 34.5 percent of the surveyed youth reported starting work before turning 15. Notably, while only 3 percent of the surveyed high school students reported starting work before the age of 13, the figure jumps to 31.2 percent among the respondents currently in middle school. This highlights a growing trend of younger children entering the workforce at increasingly early ages.

Among teenagers with work experience on digital platforms, such as YouTube or social media, 14.5 percent reported starting work before the age of 13.

"As digital platform work expands, more young teenagers are participating, leading to increasing discrepancies with the age standards set by the Labor Standards Act," the report stated. "Providing labor rights education at an early stage could help reduce instances of unfair treatment for young workers."

Under the Labor Standards Act, minors under 15 must obtain a work permit issued by the minister of employment and labor. However, only 12.5 percent of the 360 respondents who started working before their 15th birthday said they had obtained such a work permit. In contrast, 52 percent stated they had never obtained a permit and simply began working, while 35.5 percent could not recall whether they had obtained one.

Among the 952 teenagers who had worked in the past year, 34.5 percent reported experiencing at least one form of unfair treatment, such as delayed wages, verbal abuse or sexual harassment. The most common issue was not receiving wages on time, reported by 17.4 percent of respondents. Another 17.1 percent said they were not given rest breaks during work, while 13.7 percent reported receiving lower pay than agreed or none at all. Moreover, 10.1 percent said they had experienced verbal abuse, sexual harassment or physical assault from employers or managers. Following these issues, only 17.9 percent of those who experienced unfair treatment said they had lodged complaints or reported the incidents.