As AI rapidly transforms white-collar work and a college degree loses its premium in South Korea's crowded labor market, a growing number of young people are turning to blue-collar jobs for stability, higher pay and better work-life balance. Government data show that an increasing number of young South Koreans seek technical qualifications in construction, transport, and mechanical trades. Analysts say this reflects both shifting attitudes and the reality of tighter employment prospects in traditional office roles. One such worker is Cha Byung-jok who left his job as a fitness trainer a year ago to become a tile installer. He said skilled tile workers can earn more than 4 million Korean won (around 2,900 U.S. dollars) a month - higher than what he made as a trainer - while allowing him to get greater control over his time. A report by the Korea Employment Information Service (KEIS) found white-collar positions are about 5.5 percent more likely to be replaced by AI than blue-collar ones, underscoring the risks for office workers. In contrast, trades such as home renovation rely heavily on skilled labor and offer steady demand with relatively low entry barriers. At a tiling training academy, one student explained the appeal. According to the Human Resources Development Service of Korea (HRD Korea), people aged 20 to 39 accounted for 44.4 percent of the applicants for national technical qualification exams in 14 key trades such as construction, machinery, driving and plumbing in 2023. In some fields, including crane operators and container handling technicians, the share of young candidates has surpassed 60 percent. Over half of the applicants in transportation and electrical trades are also under 40. A manager at a vocational training institute said the student profile has changed noticeably. Experts say younger generations increasingly value work-life balance over traditional prejudice against manual labor. Still, they caution that while skilled trades can offer strong earnings based on ability, the stability and risks of such careers require careful consideration. Shotlist: South Korea - Recent: 1. Various of decoration workers working; 2. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Cha Byung-jok, tile workers (ending with shot 3): "My goal is to keep working hard and reach the top level among tile workers. This job doesn't come with the worry about retirement. As long as I can work, I can keep doing it, which is a big advantage. And every day after finishing work, I still have time for my personal life."; 3. Various of Cha working; 4. Various of interior decoration team working; 5. SOUNDBITE (Korean) trainee, tiling training academy (name not given) (ending with shot 6): "The high income of tile workers is one factor, but mainly, it's not easy to get into a big company even after graduating from a university. I want to pursue my own path."; 6. Various of decoration worker training in progress; 7. SOUNDBITE (Korean) manager, vocational training institute (name not given) (ending with shot 8): "Recently, at least one-third of our new trainees are in their 20s and 30s, including some fresh high school graduates. The overall trend is becoming much younger. In the past, construction jobs were seen as low-status or undignified. Now, many young people are entering the industry openly, earning high incomes, and social perceptions have improved significantly."; 8. Various of decoration worker training in progress. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]