What is the difference between 노동자 vs 근로자? I'm also a bit confused with their meanings

Question

노동자 is listed as a manual/physical laborer in HTSK. When I searched it up, it said that this word could be used for any worker, e.g office worker, store worker. So is 노동자 mainly used for a physical labourer or just any worker in general?

Also, is 근로자 also just used for any worker in general? What's the difference between 노동자 vs 근로자 vs 종업원?

Answer 1

노동자 is the traditional term for "laborer". It can mean manual laborer in a narrow context but it can also refer to any worker who does work by exerting themselves.

근로자 is a less frequently used term that just means "worker". Since 노동자 has acquired the connotation of laborer as someone who fights the management (as in 노동 운동 = labor movement), governments and other organizations often want to avoid those political overtones and 근로자 fills this need nicely. For instance, 근로자의 날 is Worker's Day. It is a textbook-like term mostly used in very formal contexts.

There are numerous words describing work and job. I'll list some common ones.

Common verbs.

• 일하다 = to work (most general and widely used term).
• 노동하다 = to labor. 육체노동자 = blue color worker. 정신노동자 = white color worker.
• 근무하다 = to be on duty at work. 근무지 = workplace. 근무시간 = work hours.
• 작업하다 = to work on a task. 현장 작업자 = workers on scene.

General terms for "employed worker".

• 종업원 = worker/employee (sometimes implies employment status)
• 직원 = same, but more vague, a little like "clerk" or "person on hand".
• 사원 = an employee of a private workplace. More formal than 종업원 or 직원. (All three are common terms describing employees of a workplace)

Terms for "worker" in general (and typically more formal).

• 노동자 = worker or laborer. Makes compound words like 부두 노동자 (dock laborer).
• 근무자 = person on duty.
• 작업자 = person working on a (well defined) task.
• 인력 = workforce.
• 관리자 = manager or caretaker.
• 노무자 = workers doing physical work.
• 일꾼 = similar to 노무자 but more informal (and somewhat disparaging).