Samsung is gearing up for one of the most anticipated hiring events in South Korea, announcing the launch of its 2026 first half public recruitment drive. Starting March 10, 2026, and running through March 17, 2026, hopeful candidates can submit their applications through the official Samsung Careers website. This annual tradition, which has been going strong for 70 years since its inception in 1957, stands as a testament to Samsung’s enduring commitment to nurturing talent and providing fair employment opportunities—even during economic storms.
This year’s recruitment is no small affair. Eighteen major affiliates are participating, including household names like Samsung Electronics, Samsung C&T, Samsung Biologics, Samsung SDI, Samsung Life Insurance, Samsung Display, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Samsung SDS, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, Samsung Securities, Samsung Asset Management, Samsung Heavy Industries, Samsung Engineering & Construction, Cheil Worldwide, S-1, Samsung Global Research, and Samsung Welstory. It’s a veritable who’s who of the Samsung Group, reflecting the company’s broad reach across industries from semiconductors to insurance and beyond (as reported by MediaPen and Kiho Ilbo).
What makes this year’s recruitment particularly noteworthy is its scale and focus. Samsung has pledged to hire 60,000 people over the next five years, targeting advanced sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, next-generation batteries, and display technologies. This ambitious hiring plan is part of Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s promise, made in August of the previous year at an economic leaders’ meeting with President Lee Jae-myung, to “continuously create high-quality jobs domestically and foster high value-added industries through sustained investment.” According to Electronic Times, this pledge is seen as a concrete step to reinforce Samsung’s domestic investment and its commitment to the future of Korean industry.
The recruitment process itself is rigorous and multi-layered, designed to evaluate candidates’ suitability for the diverse roles on offer. It kicks off in March with a job suitability evaluation, followed in April by the famed Samsung Aptitude Test (GSAT), and concludes with interviews and health checks in May. For those applying to software or design positions, there’s a twist: instead of the GSAT, software applicants undergo a practical skills test, while design hopefuls are evaluated through portfolio reviews. This tailored approach ensures that the recruitment process matches the unique demands of each field, a point underscored by Samsung’s ongoing efforts to innovate its hiring practices. As a Samsung spokesperson told MediaPen, “We are continually striving to provide fair opportunities for youth through open recruitment without academic restrictions and free software education via SSAFY.”
The GSAT itself is no walk in the park. Often dubbed the “Samsung Civil Service Exam,” it’s a high-stakes, 50-question test of logical thinking and problem-solving skills, with questions frequently referencing Samsung’s core products and technologies—think high-bandwidth memory or foldable smartphones. The GSAT’s importance in the job market is such that entire prep courses spring up each year, both online and offline, to help candidates prepare. Since 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the GSAT has been conducted online, a change that’s now become the norm, according to Newsis.
Samsung’s open recruitment system has a storied history. When it was first introduced in 1957, it broke away from the then-prevailing norm of hiring through recommendations or personal connections, ushering in a new era of merit-based hiring in Korea. The system has evolved over the decades: in 1993, Samsung opened its doors to female university graduates for the first time, and by 1995, it had removed academic restrictions altogether, pioneering what it calls an “open recruitment” culture. The introduction of the Samsung Aptitude Test (then known as SSAT) in 1995 marked another milestone, shifting the focus from academic background to problem-solving ability and job suitability. In 2015, the test was rebranded as the Global Samsung Aptitude Test (GSAT), further standardizing the recruitment process across Samsung’s diverse affiliates.
Even as other major Korean conglomerates like SK, Hyundai Motor, and LG have moved away from regular public hiring, Samsung remains the lone giant maintaining this system. Industry watchers, as noted by Electronic Times, interpret this as a strong signal of Samsung’s commitment to domestic investment and employment stability. The company’s resilience is notable—over the past 70 years, Samsung has never suspended its public recruitment drive, not even during turbulent times like the oil shock of the 1970s or the financial crisis of the 2000s. The predictability and transparency of the process have made Samsung’s recruitment a fixture in the lives of many young Koreans seeking stable, high-quality jobs.
Samsung’s investment in talent development doesn’t stop at recruitment. The company operates the Samsung Youth Software & AI Academy (SSAFY) across five locations nationwide, providing free training to bolster the software competitiveness of young jobseekers. There are also targeted programs for Meister high school graduates, including internship tracks that lead directly to employment, and special recruitment for winners of national skills competitions—more than 1,600 technical talents have been hired through this route since 2007. These initiatives reflect Samsung’s broader strategy to secure a diverse and highly skilled workforce, especially as it doubles down on advanced industries.
Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s philosophy on talent is clear. In a message to employees on October 27, 2022, marking his appointment as chairman, he declared, “The most important values since the company’s founding have been talent and technology. We must attract and nurture talent who can change the world, regardless of gender or nationality.” This ethos underpins Samsung’s ongoing efforts to create more opportunities for youth and to foster an environment where employees can fully realize their potential. As a Samsung representative told Newsis, “We are continuously innovating our HR systems so that employees can maximize their abilities and grow into even better talents.”
The recruitment drive comes at a time when the Korean job market is under pressure, and young jobseekers are hungry for predictable, high-quality employment opportunities. By sticking to its open recruitment tradition, Samsung not only provides a lifeline to thousands of aspiring professionals but also reinforces its role as a bellwether for fair hiring practices and industrial innovation in Korea. With its eyes firmly set on the future, Samsung’s 2026 recruitment campaign is more than just a hiring spree—it’s a reaffirmation of the company’s faith in the power of people to drive progress, even in uncertain times.
As the application window opens, all eyes are on Samsung—not just to see who will join its ranks, but to witness how the company’s evolving approach to talent shapes the next chapter of Korean industry and innovation.