Energy Public Corporations like KEPCO and KHNP Take Steps to Manage Workforce Supply

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Major energy public enterprises will launch new recruitment in the first half of this year.

According to related ministries on the 20th, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) will begin recruiting new university graduate-level employees for the first round of this year from mid-next month. The scale of new hires is expected to be around 200, similar to previous years.

KHNP hires about 400 office and technical staff annually in two rounds, divided into the first and second halves of the year, equivalent to the university graduate public recruitment. For office positions, there are no educational restrictions, but for technical positions, applicants must have majored in related fields or hold relevant certifications.

Separately, KHNP will also recruit a total of 20 nuclear power-related specialized researchers this year. The recruitment process is currently underway, and the final results will be announced in July.

Korea Radioactive Waste Agency, which mainly manages the government's low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal facilities, also plans to recruit new personnel next month. The expected number of hires is about 80, divided into the first and second halves of the year.

If nuclear power projects expand significantly in the second half of this year according to the new government's energy transition plan, KHNP and related nuclear institutions are expected to increase their recruitment beyond the original plan. These institutions can expand their workforce by submitting new recruitment plans as needed through internal reviews to the Ministry of Economy and Finance for examination and approval.

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Since President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol, who emphasized the "abolition of nuclear phase-out," pledged as a major campaign promise to export 10 nuclear reactors and create 100,000 related jobs by 2030, it is expected that efforts to replenish the nuclear workforce reduced during the Moon Jae-in administration will be actively pursued.

According to the Nuclear Industry Status Survey released this month by the Korea Nuclear Industry Association, the total workforce in the nuclear industry was 35,276 in 2020, a 5.2% decrease compared to 37,232 in 2016. During the five years of the Moon administration, a total of 671 nuclear power dedicated personnel, including retirees, left KHNP, with more than 100 employees leaving annually from 2018 to last year, indicating that large-scale replenishment is inevitable in the future.

Additionally, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) is currently conducting university graduate recruitment for the first half of this year. The scale of new hires in the first half is about 250, and separately, they are also recruiting research staff. KEPCO KPS, mainly responsible for maintenance of power facilities, will recruit a total of 90 new employees (G3 and G4 grades) and recruitment-type interns in the first half of this year.

A KHNP official stated, "The issue of workforce replenishment can be handled internally according to the needs of each department. However, if it is judged internally that additional personnel are needed, it can be flexibly carried out by securing related budgets through the Ministry of Economy and Finance."

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