[Edaily Reporter kim mi-kyung ] Food company Pulmuone Corporate(017810)is implementing a voluntary retirement program to address uncertainties in the domestic and international business environment.

According to industry sources on the 14th, Pulmuone Corporate posted a “Notice on the 2026 Voluntary Retirement Program” on its internal bulletin board that day. Eligible applicants are full-time employees with at least five years of service as of the retirement date. Production workers, sales promotion staff, and contract workers are excluded from the program.

Pulmuone Corporate cited internal and external business uncertainties as the reason for implementing the voluntary retirement program. In the notice, the company stated, “We are facing significant difficulties due to the ongoing, rapidly changing internal and external business uncertainties,” adding, “To overcome these challenges and establish a sustainable foundation for survival, we are closely reviewing all aspects of our business and organizational operations while pursuing change and innovation.”

Applications for the voluntary retirement program will be accepted from the 18th to the 30th of this month. The company will review the applications and notify applicants of the results on the 10th of next month; employees whose applications are finally approved will retire on the 30th of next month. Not all applications will be accepted, as the company will determine final approval based on business conditions and other factors.

Severance pay will be paid on a sliding scale based on length of service. Employees with less than 10 years of service will receive 12 months’ worth of base salary. Those with 10 to 21 years of service will receive 13 months’ worth, plus one additional month for each year of service, while those with 21 or more years of service will receive the maximum amount of 24 months’ worth. Employees with less than two years remaining until retirement will receive the full amount of their base salary corresponding to the remaining period as severance pay.

Pulmuone Corporate maintains that this voluntary retirement program is intended as an organizational restructuring measure to respond to the rapidly changing business environment, rather than a simple workforce reduction. A Pulmuone Corporate official stated, “This voluntary retirement program is designed to proactively respond to the rapidly changing external business environment and shifts in the industrial structure, and to secure sustainable competitiveness by reorganizing our organization and workforce management in a more efficient and future-oriented manner from a mid- to long-term perspective.”

The spokesperson added, “We plan to proceed with this program on a voluntary basis, based on the applications and wishes of employees who have been with the company for a certain period of time,” and continued, “We plan to respond more flexibly to the changing business environment while enhancing the efficiency of our organizational and workforce management to strengthen our future business competitiveness.”