The Bank of Korea has published a study by Bosung Kim, Minsu Chung, Yujeong Jeong and Subin Jang finding that employment growth in occupations highly exposed to generative and agentic artificial intelligence (AI) has been concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, widening its gap with other regions. The analysis recommends strengthening regional AI education, services linked to local manufacturing and university AI capabilities to capture potential gains outside the metropolitan area. Exposure measures potential AI use rather than actual adoption, and the early findings do not establish that AI caused the employment changes.
Among workers aged 15 to 59, the Seoul metropolitan area, comprising Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi, accounted for 80.8% of the 247,000 increase in jobs highly exposed to generative AI from 2023 through 2025. Its share of the 105,000 jobs added in occupations highly exposed to agentic AI in 2025 reached 88.3%. Persistent labor shortages and signs of rising wages in occupations highly exposed to agentic AI suggest a possible shortage of expertise and practical experience, particularly in the metropolitan area. Employment among workers in their 20s nevertheless declined in occupations highly exposed to both types across regions, with no clear widening of regional disparities.
Regions outside the metropolitan area have greater exposure to physical AI, whose development could intensify the longstanding employment decline in occupations highly exposed to it. Conversely, AI advances could move research and development closer to manufacturing sites and raise productivity in regional services where skills are scarcer. Recommended measures include expanding AI training and allocating financial support for service businesses selectively through capability assessments. Supporting startups that supply services tailored to regional manufacturing industries could help expand local knowledge services. Investment in regional flagship universities should concentrate on selected priority areas to develop them into AI hubs.