The government plans to amend the Employment Insurance Act so workers under 35 who voluntarily leave a job after a minimum employment period can claim job-seeking benefits once in their lifetime. Employment insurance covered 192,299 people under 35 who lost coverage in the first half of 2026, including 146,418 voluntary leavers. Of those, 97,437, or 66.5%, had worked less than a year, with the share reaching 80.1% among workers aged 20 to 24. The Ministry of Employment and Labor says the measure would help young people leave unsuitable first jobs and pursue new career paths, but critics warn it could encourage earlier resignations, disadvantage people who have never secured a first job and add pressure to an already strained fund. The fund recorded a 592 billion won deficit in fiscal 2025, while its unemployment benefits account had a 5.9933 trillion won deficit.