Samsung Holds Second-Half GSAT for 19 Affiliates... Delivers on Pledge to Hire 60,000 in 5 Years

Final selections to follow November interviews and health screenings
"The only one among Korea's four largest groups" to continue 70 years of open recruitment

Samsung said it conducted the Samsung Aptitude Test (GSAT) online over two days, October 24 and 25, as part of its second-half 2026 recruitment of new employees.

A Samsung Electronics proctor is holding a pre-test briefing for candidates taking the Samsung Aptitude Test (GSAT) at the Samsung Electronics Talent Development Center in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on the 17th. Samsung.

A total of 19 Samsung affiliates took part in this second-half open recruitment drive: Samsung Electronics, Samsung C&T, Samsung Biologics, Samsung Bioepis, Samsung Life Insurance, Samsung Display, Samsung SDI, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Samsung SDS, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, Samsung Card, Samsung Securities, Samsung Heavy Industries, SAMSUNG E&A, Hotel Shilla, Cheil Worldwide, S-1, Samsung Medical Center, and Samsung Welstory.

GSAT assesses applicants' overall thinking skills and ability to solve problems flexibly. Samsung began its second-half recruitment process with applications last month and plans to make final selections after interviews and health screenings in November for applicants who pass this GSAT.

The test was conducted online, a format that has been in place since 2020. Applicants took the test on a PC in a private space. Before the exam, Samsung held preliminary briefings on October 17 and 18 to check applicants' PC environments, test systems, networks, and other related infrastructure.

Applicants for software (SW) positions instead took an offline, computer-based practical skills test on October 11 at Samsung Electronics' Suwon campus and Samsung SDS's Jamsil headquarters. Applicants for design positions are evaluated through portfolio reviews instead.

Samsung has continued its open recruitment system for 70 years, since becoming the first Korean company to introduce open recruitment for new employees in 1957. As major groups such as SK, Hyundai Motor Group, and LG have shifted to rolling recruitment, Samsung is the only one of Korea's four largest business groups to maintain large-scale regular recruitment. Even amid uncertain external conditions, including the oil shocks of the 1970s and the global financial crisis of the 2000s, Samsung has continued hiring. It has also led innovations in "open recruitment" in Korea's job market, including the introduction of open recruitment for female college graduates in 1993 and the removal of educational requirements for applicants in 1995.

In line with its plan, announced in September 2025, to hire 60,000 new employees over the next five years, Samsung is expanding youth employment opportunities, particularly in advanced industries such as semiconductors, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence (AI). Chairman Lee Jae-yong previously stressed at meetings with business leaders and other occasions that "we will continue related investment so that we can create quality jobs in Korea on an ongoing basis and foster high-value-added industries."

Alongside recruitment, Samsung is also upgrading its educational support infrastructure to help young people develop the professional skills needed in the AI era. Its free software education platform, the Samsung Youth SW and AI Academy (SSAFY), operates at five campuses in Seoul, Daejeon, Gwangju, Gumi, and Busan. Last year, it overhauled the curriculum to focus on AI and expanded eligibility starting with its 13th cohort to include graduates of Meister high schools. From its launch through the 13th cohort, SSAFY has produced a cumulative total of approximately 11,000 graduates, of whom about 9,400 have found jobs, achieving a high employment rate of approximately 85%.

Samsung has also maintained its commitment to technology-focused management by sponsoring the WorldSkills Competition and continuing special recruitment of medalists from the National Skills Competition since 2007. Through last year, it had brought more than 1,600 skilled workers into its affiliates.

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