Young people seek job opportunities at financial job fair

Jobseekers attend the Financial Sector Job Fair 2025 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Lee Kyung-min

Lee Jin-young, 28, a graduate of Sungkyunkwan University, said she is seeking a job in the financial sector.

“I have applied to a number of state-run lenders and financial institutions but haven’t made it yet,” she said. “I came here to learn about corporate culture firsthand through one-on-one consultations at the booth.”

The mathematics major is one of many attending the Financial Sector Job Fair 2025, held at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul Wednesday and Thursday.

The annual fair was launched in 2017, with this year's fair attracting 80 organizations, including 76 financial institutions such as banks, brokerages, insurers and state-run financial entities, as well as fintech and IT firms.

Lee plans to attend mock interviews with Shinhan Bank, KB Kookmin Bank, Korea Development Bank, Korea Exchange and Korea Securities Depository at the fair, and hopes her strong interest in macroeconomics will stand out during interviews with state-run financial entities.

“For example, how the lingering issue of heavy capital concentration in the real estate market can be addressed and mitigated will be in one-on-one or group interview questions and debate topics. I think low-value investment should be reoriented into high-value creation, such as equity market investment,” she said.

The event will help her better prepare for interviews, Lee said. “I heard Shinhan Bank job interviews are about how applicants respond under stress and how flexible and quick they are in certain difficult situations. As for KB Kookmin Bank, I heard many experienced workers seek jobs there as a final destination. The corporate culture there is reportedly inclusive.”

Job applicants wait for an interview at the Hana Bank booth set up at the Financial Sector Job Fair 2025 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Lee Kyung-min

The fair includes on-site job interviews that can lead to hiring, mock interviews and one-on-one job consultations. There are also conferences to offer insights into industry trends and corporate culture, along with sessions on written test strategies and interview techniques.

Hana Bank representatives said the event will provide opportunities for job applicants to better understand its corporate culture.

“Applicants will be able to get an idea of what a good interview looks like, based on the instant feedback given by our employees at the booth. They will be able to expand the job-seeking experience overall,” a Hana official said.

The opening ceremony was attended by National Assembly National Policy Committee Chairman Yoon Han-hong, Financial Services Commission Vice Chairman Kwon Dae-young and officials from participating organizations.

“We should mobilize efforts to help more young applicants have hands-on experience that actually helps with career building,” Yoon said during his congratulatory speech, adding that the National Assembly will also work to provide policies and frameworks that expedite job opportunities for young people.

“We ask the financial sector to provide more internship opportunities to help them better understand what the work entails. More funding should be allocated to bolster efficiency in productive sectors,” he said.

The event is being live streamed on the Financial Services Commission’s YouTube channel.