Monthly job creation has crept back over the 400,000 level. According to data released by Statistics Korea on Thursday, the number of employed people in July stood at 25.1 million, up 470,000, or 1.3 percent, from one year earlier.

It had grown at a rate of more than 400,000 on-year since November before dipping to 365,000 last month.

The Ministry of Strategy and Finance said that employment is rising in all industry sectors. But some point out that the increase in July seemed larger as it only rose by a lowly 335,000 in the same month last year.