Cheong Wa Dae said on the 4th that 10 corporations, including Samsung Electronics, SK Group and Hyundai Motor, plan to hire 51,600 new employees this year. Lee Kyu-yeon, senior secretary for public relations at Cheong Wa Dae, delivered the hiring plans in a briefing right after President Lee Jae-myung's meeting with 10 corporations on "a corporate roundtable to expand youth jobs and regional investment."
Lee said it is "an increase of 2,500 compared with last year's hiring," adding that 34,200 people, or 66% of the hires, will be recruited as entry-level rather than experienced. Lee added, "In the second half of last year, these 10 corporations hired an additional 4,000 people, and this year the scale has been increased by another 2,500," and said, "Despite difficult economic conditions, compared with last year's plans, it amounts to hiring a total of 6,500 more people."
Regarding the "expansion of regional investment" requested by the president, the 10 groups decided to invest 270 trillion won in the regions over five years. The total investment by the business community, including these corporations, is 300 trillion won.
Korean Enterprises Federation Chairman Ryu Jin said, "Young people move to the greater Seoul area in search of jobs, and regions worry about extinction as their populations decline. Breaking this vicious cycle is more important and urgent than anything else," and added, "The business community intends to respond with active investment."
Attending the roundtable were Ryu, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Vice Chairman Choi Chang-won, Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Eui-sun, LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, POSCO Group Chairman Chang In-hwa, Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-Kwan, HD Hyundai Group Chairman Chung Ki-sun, GS Group Chairman Huh Tae-soo and Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Won-tae.