LIneman in South Korea
Hello! I'm someone working as a lineman in South Korea. I became curious about how linemen work overseas, so I searched and ended up here.
In the case of the United States, since the supply voltage is different from Korea, I thought the work might be different as well, so I have a lot of questions. After reading through the posts, I noticed that the most fundamental difference seems to be that. In Korea, outdoor work without using aerial work vehicles is strictly prohibited. We are not allowed to perform work on utility poles with wearing fall protection gear. Two years ago, there were too many falling accidents, so Korea's public utility company, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), enforced this ban.
It’s probably due to differences in industrial structure and culture. Korea’s power market is regulated by the government and is not privatized. Therefore, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) is responsible for the electricity supply across the entire country. For new installations, demolitions, maintenance, and other projects, they outsource the work to partner companies like the one I work for. So, field workers in outdoor construction cannot decide on the work methods autonomously.
Also, in Korea, 90% of the work is done as "live-line" work, meaning without cutting off the power. Because of this, when working on 22.9kV high-voltage lines, the only possible method is to use insulated sticks to work from a distance. The work of directly touching high-voltage lines with insulated gloves was prohibited three years ago.
I’m not sure about overseas, but in Korea, there is a specific process to become a lineman. You start as a ground-level assistant doing general tasks, then move on to work on utility poles while wearing fall protection gear, and finally, you get trained to operate aerial work vehicles to become a lineman. Due to the ban on working with fall protection gear, it has become really difficult for new workers, or apprentices, to learn the job in Korea.
Fortunately, I’m transitioning to a new company where I’ll be responsible for aerial work vehicles starting next year, becoming an 'live-line' worker, even though I had to give up better conditions to join a company with worse ones. Currently, in Korea, if you want to become a lineman, you have to give up living like a normal person for the first few years, hahaha
In Korea, a ground-level assistant worker earns $223 for a 10-hour day(not 8hrs lol). Linemen without their own aerial work vehicles earn $373 a day, while linemen with their own aerial work vehicles earn $746. These amounts are based on the current broken exchange rate in South Korea.
Also, the salaries above are for a small number of freelancers who are members of labor unions. The majority of workers are full-time employees at subcontractor companies of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), with entry-level workers earning $1,700/month, mid-level workers earning $2,700, and senior linemen earning around $7,800. ...I want to go abroad....
If you have any questions, free to ask. My English isn't that great, so there might be some mistranslations here and there! If my English level improves, I would love to work in a country like yours, but realistically, it might be impossible, right? lol
