This study analyses urban industrial mission (UIM) as a non-traditional actor in Korean employment relations from the early 1960s to the 2000s. It shows how one church-based organization in Seoul, Yong Dong Po (YDP) - UIM, was able to impact other employment actors (the state and employers) and struggle against the suppression of labour rights and worker voice, particularly in the period upto 1987. As the trend towards greater democracy from the late 1980s gathered momentum, the influence of YDP-UIM in Korean industrial relations began to decline. The case study suggests that in the absence of alliances or coalitions with established actors, new and non-traditional actors which pursue orthodox economic goals will be those most likely to endure and feature significantly in a country’s industrial relations system. Keywords : Korean employment relations, Urban industrial mission