South Korea's total employment rose by 206,000 in March, bringing the number of employed people to 28.79 million and marking a second straight month above the 200,000 threshold, according to government data released Wednesday. The gains were led by the health care and social welfare sector, which added 294,000 positions, while older workers aged 60 and above accounted for much of the net growth. However, the headline figure masks persistent structural weaknesses: manufacturing shed jobs for the 21st consecutive month, construction losses extended to 23 months, and youth employment (workers aged 15–29) fell for the 23rd month in a row, raising concerns about domestic demand and long-term labour market health.