"From 20s to 60s, Everyone Rushed In"...The 'Top License' Also Obtained by Actors Yoo Yeon-seok and Sung Hoon Revealed

Forklift Operator Tops All Age Groups
Most Preferred by Job Seekers, Employees, and the Self-Employed

The forklift operator license, which is reportedly held by celebrities such as actors Yoo Yeon-seok and Sung Hoon as a means of preparing for the future, has become the most popular credential among job seekers across all generations in the current employment market. As job shortages and employment instability continue, there is a noticeable surge in demand for practical licenses that can be put to use immediately after acquisition.

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According to the "2026 National Technical Qualification Examinee Basic Statistics" released by the Human Resources Development Service of Korea on September 30, the actual number of applicants who took the written test for national technical qualifications last year was 1,856,264. Of these, 38.5% cited "employment" as their primary reason for obtaining a license. Self-development accounted for 25.8%, and the desire to enhance work performance accounted for 12.6%.

Sharp Increase in License Exam Applications by Job Seekers and the Self-Employed

Amid growing uncertainty in the employment market, the number of job seekers taking qualification exams has risen significantly. Last year, the number of job seeker applicants increased by 11.7% compared to the previous year, while the number of self-employed applicants also rose by 14.9%. In contrast, applications from full-time homemakers decreased by 5.5%.

When categorized by economic activity, wage workers accounted for the largest share at 37.1%, followed by students at 29.8%, and job seekers at 19.5%. By age, those in their 20s made up the highest proportion, accounting for 32.0% of all applicants.

Pop artist Nancy Lang also revealed that she obtained a forklift operator license. Nancy Lang SNS

Forklift Operator License Most Popular Among Technicians

Among all applicants, 52.7% took the technician-level exams. Of the technician qualifications, the forklift operator license stood out as the most popular.

Wage workers, job seekers, and the self-employed all chose the forklift operator technician license more frequently than any other qualification. By age group, the forklift operator license ranked first in popularity among those in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and even among those aged 60 and above.

Forklifts are widely used in logistics warehouses, construction, manufacturing, and port cargo handling across various industries. With no specific eligibility requirements for taking the test, the entry barrier is relatively low. Another reason for its popularity is that income can increase as candidates build experience and expertise after employment.

In particular, according to the report "Which National Technical Qualifications Do Companies Prefer?" published by the Human Resources Development Service of Korea last December, the forklift operator technician license recorded the highest number of job postings among all technician licenses. There were 52,586 related job postings—about three times as many as for the electrical technician license (18,043 postings) and over 13,000 more than for the Korean cuisine technician license (39,244 postings).

There have been several cases where celebrities' acquisition of forklift licenses has attracted attention. Actor Yoo Yeon-seok once shared that he obtained both a forklift and a trailer license during his military service due to concerns about job insecurity. Actor Sung Hoon and pop artist Nancy Lang also made headlines when they revealed that they had obtained forklift operator licenses.

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