A state-run human rights agency called Thursday for the state spy agency to remove its age limit in selecting new employees, calling the practice “discriminatory.”
The move is in response to a petition four people in their late 30s filed with the National Human Rights Commission, claiming the National Intelligence Service’s (NIS) recruiting policy that sets the maximum age for job applications at 34 is active discrimination.
The spy agency argued the age ceiling was inevitable given the nature of its activities that require strong physical strength and endurance. But the human rights group refuted it, saying, “Younger age does not necessarily guarantee strong physical strength.”
Its suggestion is not legally binding, meaning the removal of the controversial recruitment guideline is not mandatory. But in 2007, the NIS eased its stricter age limit at the request of the commission.
According to the commission, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the United States does not have an age limit in employment except for four key positions categorized as “Core Collectors.”