On the 20th, Kim Young-hoon, Minister of Employment and Labor, mentioned a project that is "really important" in the National Assembly. It is the 'communal laundry' project that washes work uniforms for small businesses for 500 won per set. When an opposition lawmaker noted that there are areas where the existence of the communal laundry is uncertain due to a lack of budget and that the ministry should review its feasibility for support, Minister Kim responded, "We will do that." Minister Kim is a former worker who served as a train engineer for KORAIL for 33 years.
◇ The first communal laundry established in Gimhae, Gyeongnam… Other local governments are benchmarking
The communal laundry first appeared in Gimhae, Gyeongnam, in 2019. It charges 500 won for summer and spring/fall clothing, and 1000 won for winter clothing. This price has been maintained to date. Unlike large or medium-sized companies that have their own laundry facilities, the goal is to relieve the burden on workers at small businesses who have to wash their own work uniforms individually.
The number of corporations using communal laundries has steadily increased. According to Gimhae City on the 24th, the number of corporations using the communal laundry started with 880 in 2022, increasing to 940 in 2023, and exceeded 1000 last year. The monthly average laundry items increased from 7500 in 2022 to 8800 in 2023 and 10,500 last year.
Other regions have started to benchmark the communal laundry as well. Communal laundries have appeared in Geoje, Busan, Cheonan in Chungnam, and Ansan and Siheung in Gyeonggi Province.
◇ Government promised support for 'regional innovation' in 2019… "Actual support limited to 1-2 cases"
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Employment and Labor stated in 2019 that Gimhae's communal laundry was a case of 'regional innovation' and that they would expand it nationwide. They promised to support 50% of the installation cost, up to 1 billion won, if a communal laundry were established in an industrial complex housing small businesses.
However, support has not been implemented as planned by the government. A spokesperson for Kim Wi-sang from the People Power Party said, "I understand that after the government announced its plan to expand communal laundries, they only supported about 1-2 locations in 2020, and did not pursue the project separately."
Currently, the government does not accurately grasp the status of communal laundries operating nationwide. A representative from the Ministry of Labor noted, "We are continuing to support communal laundries," adding, "If there have been no support results, it is because there were no applications from industrial complexes and the like."
◇ Maintaining '500 won laundry' with local government support… Some face operational suspension crisis
The reason the communal laundry can maintain low prices is due to budget support from local governments. A local government official stated, "Some costs are supported by the local government budget, but most communal laundry operations are outsourced. While it would be great to turn a profit, the reality is that there are limitations due to the usage fees."
Some communal laundries in regions like Busan are reportedly facing operational suspension due to financial difficulties. Given the public service nature, it is difficult to raise laundry fees, while fixed costs such as labor and rent continue to rise.
A local government official remarked, "Local workers are asking for the establishment of communal laundries, but we are in a difficult situation due to a lack of financial capacity." They indicated that local government support alone has its limits and that national funding is inevitable.