Kyongnam Bank chief wins state honor for youth job creation

Regional extinction concerns are deepening amid population concentration in the Greater Seoul area and youth outflow from the regions. Kim Tae-han, president of Kyongnam Bank, received a government commendation for leading field-based job policies that have helped young people settle in the region.

Kyongnam Bank said Thursday that Kim received the Order of Industrial Service Merit in the youth employment social contribution category at the "2026 Korea Job Creation Merit Government Commendation Ceremony," hosted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor at the Peace and Park Convention in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

The award recognizes his efforts to convert youth job programs — once little more than short-term "experience" gigs — into a 16-week, long-term hands-on training program. It also credits him for significantly lowering hiring barriers for local talent.

Kyongnam Bank became the first regional bank to adopt the Ministry of Employment and Labor's youth work-experience program in 2024. Starting with 28 participants in its first year, the program has given 117 young people front-desk and head-office training over the past three years.

As the banking job market increasingly prizes hands-on work experience, Kyongnam Bank partnered with local universities to launch a separate "D-IT" specialized program combining finance and digital skills. Operated independently from the existing work-experience program, it currently has 20 participants — selected through tailored preliminary interviews — training in core head-office departments, and it will run through Dec. 4.

The bank also went beyond offering short-term jobs by overhauling its hiring system. Kyongnam Bank eased eligibility requirements for local talent in its new employee recruitment process, expanding the number of hires. It has also partnered with agencies under South Gyeongsang Province to organize tours of promising companies for young people. Separately, it operates a job-training network for youths aging out of state care and vocational high school graduates.

"We have focused on creating a foundation that allows local young people to build their lives here instead of leaving for the greater Seoul area," Kim said. "We will continue to strengthen hands-on training and job-linked programs that can be put to immediate use in the field."