Korea Industrial Complex Corp. to hire record 43 full-time workers this year, applications open through Thursday

Korea Industrial Complex Corp. will more than double its full-time hiring this year to 43 positions, up from 20 last year, as it expands its workforce to handle growing responsibilities in AI-driven industrial complex transformation and manufacturing AI international standards certification. The agency will also run separate recruitment tracks for high school graduates and candidates from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.

The agency announced Monday it had opened applications for its second-half recruitment drive, which targets 22 new and experienced hires. Combined with 21 positions filled in the first half, the full-year total of 43 regular employees is the largest since the agency was established — more than twice last year's figure. The agency is also recruiting 42 youth interns, comprising 31 general positions and 11 reserved for people with disabilities.

According to Alio, the public institution management information disclosure system, the agency's annual full-time new hires were 31 in 2020, 38 in 2021, 41 in 2022, 30 in 2023, 18 in 2024 and 20 last year. If the 43-person target is met this year, it will mark the highest single-year intake on record. Of the 20 full-time new hires last year, 19 were young workers.

The agency said second-half recruitment covers nine fields in total. Entry-level positions will be filled across four areas: computer and information technology, energy and electrical engineering, policy and administration, and international cooperation. Experienced hires will be sought in three areas: industrial complex AI transformation, industrial promotion research, and regional industrial promotion research — the last of which covers Gwangju, South Jeolla Province and North Jeolla Province.

Separate tracks will be offered for social equity candidates in the management and economics field and for high school graduates in office administration. A notable addition is a new international cooperation role dedicated to manufacturing AI international standards certification, created alongside efforts to secure specialists in industrial complex AI transformation, energy and regional investment.

The social equity track is open to people with disabilities, North Korean defectors, members of multicultural families and youth aging out of the foster care system. The high school graduate track targets students from specialized and meister high schools. All tracks assess job performance competency based on the National Competency Standards framework, and hiring is conducted on a blind basis that excludes personal information unrelated to the job, such as gender, age and family background.

Applications are accepted through 6 p.m. Thursday via the agency's online recruitment portal. Following a document screening, a written test, personality assessment, first-round job interview and second-round character interview are scheduled for Sept. 20. Final results are set to be announced Nov. 16.