13 Pilot Trainees Selected for 2026... Assigned to Ports in November
166 Applicants... Competition of "13 to 1"
The 13 pilot trainees selected this year will be assigned this month to the ports where they will work. After completing six months of on-the-job training, including boarding vessels more than 200 times, they will be able to work as licensed pilots if they pass the pilot examination held next year and receive their licenses.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on November 10 that 13 candidates had passed the final round of the 2026 pilot trainee selection examination, which was held to recruit new pilots.
Pilots are professionals who board vessels entering and leaving trade ports to guide them safely in and out of port and through waterways. As of October 2026, 252 pilots were working at ports across the country.
Under the Pilotage Act, candidates for the pilot trainee selection examination must have at least three years of experience as a captain of a vessel with a gross tonnage of 6,000 tons or more. This year, 166 people took the examination, resulting in competition of about 13 applicants per position.
The examination consisted of a written test and an interview. The written test was held on October 17, and the interview on November 7. The list of successful candidates is available on the websites of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Korea Institute of Maritime and Fisheries Technology.
The 13 successful candidates will be assigned in November to the ports (pilotage districts) where they will work and will receive on-the-job training in their assigned districts for six months, boarding vessels more than 200 times. Afterward, they can work as licensed pilots if they pass the pilot examination held next year and receive their licenses.
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Kim Hyejeong, Director-General of the Shipping and Logistics Bureau at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "Pilots are key professionals who help vessels enter and leave port safely and support the smooth operation of ports. We will ensure that the on-the-job training program is thorough so that the pilot trainees selected this year can gain sufficient field experience and expertise and grow into pilots who contribute to safe port operations."
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