Photographers oppose 'blind hiring'

By Kim Bo-eun

Photographers are protesting the Moon Jae-in administration뭩 plan to eliminate photos on job application forms for all public positions.

Earlier this month, Moon announced the public sector will remove photos from application forms, as well as ban applicants from revealing their alma mater, hometown and family connections on the forms, starting later this year.

The idea of banning photos is to prevent employers from hiring based on looks. Amid the tight job market, young people are going as far as opting for cosmetic surgery to heighten their chances of landing a job.

But a committee affiliated with the Korean Professional Photographers Association is objecting to the plan.

“The Moon administration’s plan to ban photos on application forms will wreak havoc on small photo studios which barely make a living due to the tight economy and use of smartphones,” members said in a press conference at Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, Thursday.

“It also counters the President’s plan to revive mom-and-pop stores and will result in devastating the photography industry.”

They reported that identification photos account for around 70 percent of their profits.

Photos for job applications cost around 25,000 won ($22).

The members called for talks with the four ministries involved in carrying out the “blind hiring” plan.

They vowed to hold larger-scale protests if their demands are not met.

While the changes in recruitment will be initiated in the public sector, the government has pledged to hand out guidelines for companies in the private sector to encourage them to follow suit.

In a survey by recruitment portal Incruit of 552 jobseekers last May, 51 percent said they considered getting plastic surgery to help their chances of getting a job. In a different survey by Job Korea, 87.7 percent said the photos on their application forms determine whether they get the job.