There is no accurate statistics available for the scale of employment that South Korean capital created transnationally. Nonetheless, it is possible to estimate the number of workers working within KTLRs. Our estimation is based on the by-annual survey on Korean FDI firms across the world by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA). The Agency’s 2016 report covered 2,746 Korean firms in Vietnam, amongst which 2,710 firms actually reported that they employed 1,036,192 local workers. By using this figure, some estimation has been derived from our calculation as follows:  

The minimum number of workers under KTLRs in Vietnam (VminKFDI) = the average number of employees in the firms reporting their employment scale (382.36 persons) × the number of all surveyed firms including those firms that were surveyed but did not report the number of employees= 1,049,961.

The maximum number of workers under TLRs in Vietnam (VmaxKFDI) = the average number of employees in the firms reporting their employment scale (382.36 persons) × the number of all Korean FDI firms in Vietnam (4,200)* = 1,605,912

The number of workers employed in Korean FDI firms in Vietnam in 2016 (VXKFDI) should be between 1,049,961 and 1,605,912.

Based on these figures, we also estimate the total Vietnamese workers under TLRs. We use two methods.

Using Method 1:

• South Korea’s FDI position (stock) in Vietnam is US$ 12,556 million as of 2016, which is 27.7% of total US$ 45,555 million FDI from the world to Vietnam as of 2016 (CDIS 6-o figure).**
• How many workers would be employed by 100% FDI as of 2016?  it is estimated that all FDI firms in Vietnam directly employ between 3,790,473 (VminFDI=VminKFDI 1,049,961/27.7 × 100) and 5,797,516 (VmaxFDI=VmaxKFDI 1,605,912/27.7 × 100) as of 2016.
• It is about 11.89% to 18.19% of non-agricultural workers (31,872,863 persons in 2016 according to ILO) in Vietnam in 2016.
• Vietnam General Statistics Office shows that total employees in foreign investment sector are 3,591,000 in 2016 – close to our VminFDI.

Using method 2:

• Minimum and Maximum Per million KOR FDI employees = 83.6 (VminKFDI: 1,049,961 / 12,556) and 127.9 persons (VmaxKFDI: 1,605,912 / 12,556)
• VminFDI = VminKFDI 83.6 × total FDI positions in million 45,555 = 3,808,398
• VmaxFDI = VmaxKFDI 127.9 × total FDI positions in million 45,555 = 5,926,485 persons.

By the same token, we also estimated the number of Indonesian workers employed directly by KTLRs on the basis of KOTRA’s 2016 survey in Indonesia. However, it is noted that raw data collected in Indonesia is less reliable than that of Vietnam because KOTRA’s 2016 report offers a less comprehensive set of data about employees in Korean FDI firms in Indonesia compared to those in Vietnam. The report shows that 522 Korean FDI firms employ 372,200 local workers. Amongst 522 Korean FDI firms surveyed, 505 firms reported the number of local employees. The average number of employees in Korean FDI firms is 737.03. If applying this average to the firms that were surveyed but did not report the number of local employees, the total number of local workers employed by the surveyed Korean FDI firms in Indonesia would be as large as 384,730 (737.03*522 = IminKFDI). According to KOTRA’s another publication in 2018, there were more than 2,000 Korean FDI firms in Indonesia in 2018. Assuming that the scale of employment among Korean FDI firms in Indonesia had not significantly changed between 2016 and 2018, we can apply the average number of local workers employed in Korean FDI firms in Indonesia in 2016 to the figure of total Korean FDI firms in Indonesia in 2018. If so, the number of local employees in 2018 would be as large as 1,474,060 (ImaxKFDI). Therefore, our estimation of the number of Indonesian workers in Korean FDI firms (IXKFDI) can be somewhere between 383,714 (IminKFDI) and 1,474,060 (ImaxKFDI). Based on these figures, we also estimate the total Indonesian workers under TLRs. We use the same methods we used to estimate Vietnamese figure:

• Korea has invested total US$ 6,964 million in Indonesia as of 2016, which accounts for 2.79% of US$ 249,859 million total FDI positions in Indonesia (IMF’s CDIS 6-I figure = UNCTAD figure).
• By using method 1, it is estimated that all FDI firms in Indonesia directly employ between IminFDI 13,753,190 (383,714÷ 2.79 *100) and ImaxFDI 52,833,692 (1,474,060 ÷ 2.79*100).
• It is about 16.74 % to 64.29 % of non-agricultural workers (82,185,399 persons in 2016, ILO figure) in Indonesia in 2016.

• By using method 2, it is estimated that minimum and maximum Per million KOR FDI employees would range from 55.1 (IminKFDI: 383,714 ÷ 6,964) to 211.7 persons (ImaxKFDI: 1,474,060 ÷ 6,964).

• The estimated minimum number of workers employed through TLRs = IminFDI = IminKFDI 55.1 × total FDI positions in million 249,859 = 13,767,231 persons.
• Estimated maximum number of workers employed through TLRs = ImaxFDI = IminKFDI 211.7 × total FDI positions in million 249,859 = 52,895,150 persons.
•  

We also estimated the number of Cambodia workers employed directly by KTLRs on the basis of KOTRA’s 2016 survey in Cambodia. The report shows that about 177 Korean FDI firms employ 23,209 local workers in Cambodia. Amongst 177 surveyed Korean firms, only 72 reported the number of local employees. The average number of employees in those 72 Korean FDI firms is 322.34.  If applying this average to the firms that did not report the number of local employees, the total number of local workers employed by the 177 Korean FDI firms surveyed in Cambodia would be as large as 57,054 (322.34 × 177). According to Korea Labour Foundation (2020: 23)*, there were more than 300 Korean FDI firms in Korea in 2018. If applying the average number of employees in Korean FDI firms in Cambodia to all Korean FDI firms including firms not covered by the survey, the number of local employees would be as large as 96,702 (322.34 × 300).

*https://www.nosa.or.kr/portal/nosa/SpecData/nalabourData/natlabourEnv

• Our estimation of the number of Cambodian workers in Korean FDI firms was somewhere between CminKFDI 57,054 (for 177 surveyed firms) and CmaxKFDI 96,702 (for 300 firms).
• Korea has invested total US$ 1,430 million in Cambodia as of 2016, which account for 8.13 % of US$ 17,580 million total FDI stock into Cambodia by 2016 (both CDIS 6-i figure).
• By using method 1, it is estimated that all FDI firms in Cambodia directly employ CminFDI 701,771 (57,054 ÷ 8.13 ×100) to CmaxFDI 1,189,446 workers (96,702 ÷ 8.13 × 100).
• It is about 12.7 % to 21.52 % of non-agricultural workers (5,524,712 persons in 2016*ILO) in Cambodia in 2016.
• Using Method 2: The number of employees per a million-dollar investment stock (CminPM = CminFDI / Total 17,580 million FDI as of 2016 = would range from 39.9 persons per million-dollar FDI (701,771 ÷ 17,580) to 67.7 persons per million-dollar FDI (1,189,446 ÷ 17,580).
• Estimated 701,442 to 1,190,166 workers are working directly under TLRs in Cambodia. 

Estimation of the total number of workers in East Asia under KTLR and TLRs.

• Assuming the minimal figure in Vietnam’s number of employees per a million-dollar investment stock from Korea (83.6 persons) is a reasonable standard to calculate the number of employees in Korean FDI firms across East Asia, we can estimate that Korea’s US$ 131,848 million total FDI to East Asia by 2016 would employ 11,022,493 (131,848 *83.6) persons in East Asian economies (Total Korean FDI position in East Asia – CDIS data Table: “1-o: Outward direct investment positions as of end-2016 reporting country: Korea Republic of”).
• Total FDI figure in East Asia in 2016 offered by CDIS data is incomplete. But 2018 data is more comprehensive. So, if applying 2016 VminKFDI to 2018 FDI data by assuming that the minimum number of employees per million-dollar investment in East Asia did not vary, KTLRs would employ 11,468,666 across East Asia.  
• Likewise, total US$ 3,287 billion intra-East Asian FDI in 2018 would employ 274.81 million (3,287,236 × 83.6) workers across East Asia. Moreover, total US$ 7,062 billion FDI to East Asia by 2018 would employ 590.4 million (7,062,286 × 83.6) workers in East Asia. This means as large as 590 million workers are controlled by TLRs directly across East Asia.