Labor Ministry Launches Inspection Into Hanwha Aerospace Over Alleged Age and Academic Restrictions in Hiring

The Ministry of Employment and Labor has initiated an inspection into Hanwha Aerospace following allegations that the company imposed restrictions based on age and educational background during its recruitment process.

On September 16, the Ministry announced that it would conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of Hanwha Aerospace’s hiring procedures for experienced professionals.

Kim Younghoon, Minister of Employment and Labor. September 15, 2026. Photo by Yongjun Cho

This investigation is in response to recent media reports claiming that Hanwha Aerospace limited the age of applicants to those born in 1980 or later when hiring experienced employees, and that the company shared internal guidelines with recruiters assigning preferred universities to each business site.

Accordingly, the Ministry plans to obtain the recruitment announcements, internal evaluation criteria, and actual assessment records in order to verify whether discriminatory provisions were actually applied at the workplace.

The Ministry stated, “If violations are found as a result of the inspection, we will take strict action, including fines and corrective orders, and provide strong guidance to ensure that recruitment is conducted transparently and fairly.”

They further emphasized, “We will continue to respond rigorously to any discriminatory hiring practices that undermine fair employment competition, and conduct ongoing guidance and supervision to establish a culture of fair recruitment.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.