Kim Hyun-bin began his journalism career at Arirang TV from 2012 to 2017, specializing in defense, foreign affairs and the economy. In 2018, he joined The Korea Times, covering society and business, and is currently responsible for embassy affairs.
Office workers show interest in new Hyundai Motor production jobs
An employee works on the Sonata production line at the Hyundai Motor Asan plant in South Chungcheong Province. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor
By Kim Hyun-bin
By Kim Hyun-bin
Hyundai Motor's recruitment of 400 production workers is stirring up online communities as the company is recruiting technical workers for the first time in 10 years, according to industry officials, Monday.
According to the industry, the annual salary of a new production worker at Hyundai Motor is 50 million won ($38,000) to 60 million won, and the average annual salary for a worker who has been at the company for 14 years is 96 million won, and for the 16th year, it is 130 million won. The retirement age of 60 is guaranteed, and a 25 percent discount is available when purchasing a Hyundai car for life even after retirement.
On Blind, an anonymous communication platform for office workers, a series of posts have been asking about hiring conditions, salary and the work environment. There are even posts by people who are contemplating switching professions ― from civil servants to the Hyundai Motor production sector.
"Hyundai Motor production workers may have their own difficulties, but I think that if they work diligently, the work stress will be less than that of civil servants," an anonymous government worker posted on Blind.
People at state-run businesses and large corporations are showing interest in Blind, asking for insights in order to better their chances of getting employed by Hyundai Motor. Even for those who are already employed, there are endless posts asking about the hiring qualifications needed for the Hyundai Motor production sector.
“I don't want to go to work, have meetings and be stressed all the time. I have a master's in engineering from a SKY (Seoul, Korea, Yonsei) university, and I am thinking about submitting an application,” a worker at a major semiconductor company posted on Blind.
The decrease in the work intensity of technical jobs due to technological development also affected the sharp rise in interest. Actual car production sites use robots and advanced production lines to assemble products, reducing complex hands-on work.
Hyundai Motor Group is also seeking to upgrade the production process by introducing smart factory technology to the Genesis production line at its Ulsan plant.