Korea Business Review · Section
DEEP ANALYSIS
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DEEP ANALYSIS
“We're Hiring, But Fewer Than 10 People”… The 2026 Second-Half Recruitment Market Trend Through Hiring Data
According to a JobKorea survey of 569 human resources managers, 78.7% of companies plan to hire in the second half of the year, but 78.9% of them plan to hire 10 or fewer people, with 74.3% allocating budgets of less than 3 million won, pointing to the spread of 'long-tail hiring'. Data compiled by Catch showed that regular full-time job postings plummeted by 64% over two years, lowering their share to 50%, while the proportions of contract workers (from 25% to 34%) and interns (from 7% to 11%) increased. A Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) survey found that postings exclusively for entry-level applicants stood at just 2.6%, while a Wantedlab survey showed that companies most frequently sought workers with 4 to 7 years of experience (49.7%), demonstrating a clear preference for personnel who can be immediately deployed to practical tasks. While sales maintained the largest scale based on JobKorea platform data, postings increased in human resources/HR (+12%), planning (+9%), and marketing (+7%), while AI, development, and data alone decreased (-4%), a decline JobKorea analyzed as the impact of shifting to ad-hoc, small-scale recruitment (JobKorea's own interpretation). Amid the July employment trends announced the same day showing the youth unemployment rate rising by 6.8%—the largest increase in 5 years and 6 months—various indicators commonly point to the likelihood that an increase in second-half job postings and 'narrow gates' will appear together.
이지영 기자 · 08/12/2026
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DEEP ANALYSIS
Companies That Post the Same Job Openings All Year Long: Job Seekers Already Know
류현진 선임기자 · 07/18/2026
DEEP ANALYSIS
Are Job Postings Increasing or Decreasing? The Two Faces of the 2026 Hiring Market Told by Numbers
박소유 책임기자 · 07/10/2026
DEEP ANALYSIS
Claude Fable 5 Returns in 19 Days: Why the First Commercial AI Switched Off by the U.S. Government Came Back on July 1 with New Safeguards
강지혜 선임기자 · 07/02/2026
DEEP ANALYSIS
Another Workplace After Clocking Out: A Growing Number of 4050 Breadwinners Are Working Second Jobs
강지혜 선임기자 · 06/24/2026
DEEP ANALYSIS
Semiconductor Exports Surpass 41%, KOSPI Breaks 9,000 for the First Time... Exchange Rates and Interest Rates Move in Tandem
Exports for June 1-20 reached a record high of $62.0 billion, with semiconductors surging 188% to account for 41.2% of total exports, further deepening reliance on a single item. While an AI data center-driven memory boom is the core growth driver, heavy reliance on unit price gains has sparked warnings over market concentration and debt-fueled stock investments despite the KOSPI breaking 9,000 for the first time. As semiconductors race ahead, traditional manufacturing like autos and machinery alongside construction remain sluggish, creating clear inter-industry polarization and a persistent disconnect where the warmth of the boom fails to trickle down to domestic consumption. The won-dollar exchange rate dropped to 1,508 won following the US-Iran peace MOU before turning weak to 1,529-1,538 won amid Fed tightening signals, reflecting a decoupling phenomenon of a weak won during a stock market rally. With rate hike possibilities (from 2.50% to 2.75%) being discussed for the July Monetary Policy Board meeting due to exchange rate and energy-led inflationary pressures, the South Korean economy finds itself in a complex phase carrying triple variables of exchange rates, interest rates, and energy simultaneously.
최수진 기자 · 06/22/2026
DEEP ANALYSIS
Not Just Due to Regulations: 4 Reasons Why Uber and Grab Do Not Work in South Korea
The absence of Uber and Grab cannot be explained by a single line stating they were blocked by regulations. While private car ride-sharing services like UberX are illegal under the Passenger Transport Service Act, Uber remains in a transformed state as a 'taxi-hailing app' rather than fully withdrawing, and Grab never entered South Korea in the first place. The 'Tada incident' was a critical turning point; even though the court ruled it legal, the passage of the anti-Tada law in the National Assembly in 2020 and its dismissal by the Constitutional Court solidified the reality that mobility services operating outside the traditional framework of taxis struggle to survive in South Korea. Uber's sluggish performance was also a strategic miscalculation. Its 'occupy first, negotiate later' approach clashed with the organized taxi industry and dense public transportation, whereas Kakao secured over 90% of the market with 'Kakao T,' which embraced existing taxis (recording approximately 13.58 million MAU as of February 2026). Uber's counterattack in 2026 also failed to narrow the gap; users who briefly increased through the Uber One subscription and Naver partnership dwindled back to about 650,000 as the 'Naver effect' faded, leading Uber to pivot toward niche strategies such as foreign and tourist demand and 'Uber rental.' Autonomous driving has emerged as a variable that will shake all balances anew. With robotaxis becoming commonplace in the U.S. and China, and the Bank of Korea suggesting regulatory relaxation, the full-scale realization of robotaxis will inevitably force a reexamination of the logic behind the current Passenger Transport Act, which has blocked private vehicle operations.
강지혜 선임기자 · 06/18/2026
DEEP ANALYSIS
Seoul Metropolitan Area Apartments Clash Between Record-Breaking Regulations and Record-Breaking Supply Shortages
Following the June 27 loan regulations and October 15 expansion of regulated zones in the second half of 2025, combined with the resumption of the heavy capital gains tax surcharge in May 2026, unprecedented multi-layered regulations are currently operating in the Seoul metropolitan area. However, one year after the resumption of the heavy tax surcharge, apartment listings in Seoul have decreased by about 10%, while price growth has actually expanded to the 0.2-0.3% range, demonstrating a phenomenon of 'price strength amid locked listings.' The jeonse (lump-sum lease) market is also unstable, with Seoul's cumulative apartment jeonse increase reaching approximately six times that of last year (3.77%), underpinning sales prices from below. The root cause is a shortage of supply: Seoul's move-in volume for 2026 is projected to drop 48% year-on-year to about 16,000 households, marking the lowest level nationwide in 13 years. As strengthening holding taxes, such as raising the comprehensive real estate holding tax and reducing long-term holding special deductions, are being discussed as the next regulatory cards, deliberations on tax law amendments in the second half of the year are expected to be a watershed moment for the market.
강지혜 선임기자 · 06/11/2026
DEEP ANALYSIS
Are Foreign Tourists Really Increasing in Korea?… The Current Status of Inbound Tourism in the First Half of 2026 Told by Numbers
In a media interview, Professor Ji Yoon-ho of the Department of Tourism at Kangwon National University diagnosed that the visit patterns of foreign tourists are moving away from specific countries or Seoul-centric destinations, and that the so-called 'glocal' strategy linked with regional tourist spots is proving effective following the spread of K-contents. He added that a structural approach to strengthen the regional tourism ecosystem will be necessary in the future. As travel remains a non-constant demand, some tourism specialized reports late last year warned that since travel demand, unlike daily necessities, can be canceled at any time, a high number of visitors last year does not guarantee more this year, necessitating precise responses tailored to the sensibilities of travelers from various countries.
최수진 기자 · 06/11/2026
DEEP ANALYSIS
What Jensen Huang's 4-Night, 5-Day Trip Left Behind: Can South Korea Become a 'Core Hub' in NVIDIA's AI Supply Chain?
During his visit to South Korea, NVIDIA announced a long-term partnership with SK Group, including a multi-year HBM supply contract spanning over two years, and unveiled joint business plans with Naver and SK Telecom to build large-scale AI data centers, known as 'AI factories,' in the country. SK Group and NVIDIA established a long-term partnership lasting at least two years to pursue comprehensive cooperation, including the co-development of next-generation memory, memory supply for AI factories, and innovations in semiconductor design and manufacturing. Regarding whether South Korea can become a 'core hub,' the officially announced outcomes of this visit can be summarized as the long-term HBM supply contract, co-development of next-generation memory, joint AI factory business plans, and directions for expanded cooperation in robotics and physical AI.
박소유 책임기자 · 06/09/2026
