Hanwha Aerospace has become embroiled in controversy over fair hiring. The company is reportedly found to have informally established age restrictions while conducting recent experienced-hire recruitment. Hanwha Aerospace also set specific educational qualifications as internal guidelines during the hiring process. None of these criteria appeared in the experienced-hire recruitment postings.
According to industry sources and KBS on the 16th, Hanwha Aerospace created internal guidelines restricting applicants’ ages during a recent experienced-hire recruitment process and distributed them to personnel in charge of human resources. The core guideline required applicants to have been born in 1980 or later and called for selection based on age relative to position level, with the aim of preventing an aging workforce structure and personnel bottlenecks.
The company also imposed educational restrictions. For positions in Seoul and Pangyo, the criteria included graduates of 11 major universities in South Korea, including the so-called SKY schools—Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Korea University—as well as graduates of overseas universities ranked within the top 100 in global university rankings. For regional sites, applicants from nearby national flagship universities and universities ranked up to the top 200 worldwide were allowed. Hanwha Aerospace distributed these unofficial internal guidelines to HR personnel and recruitment staff in each business division. The guidelines reportedly drew internal opposition because they prioritized age and alma mater over job skills, but no improvements were made.
Civic groups have raised concerns about Hanwha Aerospace’s unofficial internal hiring guidelines. They argue that restricting applicants’ ages during recruitment may violate current law. The Act on Prohibition of Age Discrimination in Employment and Elderly Employment Promotion prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of age without reasonable grounds during recruitment and hiring. Indirect discrimination also applies when a criterion other than age, without reasonable grounds, produces unfavorable results for a particular age group.
The educational restrictions have also raised concerns because Hanwha Aerospace explicitly stated in its sustainability report that it does not discriminate in talent recruitment. The discrepancy between that declaration and the operation of its hiring guidelines has become an issue. In its 2026 Sustainability Report, Hanwha Aerospace stated that it excludes discrimination based on gender, nationality, race, and other factors to provide all applicants with fair opportunities during recruitment.
Gyoyukui Bom, an education-focused civic organization, issued a statement condemning Hanwha Aerospace’s unofficial internal hiring guidelines restricting age and educational background. It urged the company to improve practices that limit employment opportunities based on applicants’ alma maters and ages. The organization’s central argument was that discrimination based on educational background undermines fair employment opportunities and runs counter to the purpose of prohibiting discrimination based on alma mater under the Framework Act on Employment Policy. Article 7 of the Framework Act on Employment Policy stipulates that employers must not discriminate against workers on the basis of age, educational background, or alma mater without reasonable grounds when recruiting them.
Hanwha Aerospace has declined to comment in detail on the unofficial internal criteria restricting age and educational background in the recruitment process at issue. However, it emphasized that no discrimination occurred in the actual hiring process. A Hanwha Aerospace official said, "The ongoing experienced-hire recruitment was not conducted according to unofficial internal criteria," adding, "Employees from various schools and across a range of age groups are being hired."
The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) said that it had begun an inspection that day into allegations that Hanwha Aerospace restricted applicants’ age and educational background. In reference materials, MOEL stated, "We will closely examine relevant materials, including the company’s recruitment postings, internal hiring criteria, and evaluation documents, to determine whether discriminatory criteria were actually applied during the recruitment process," adding, "If violations are found, we will take strict measures, including imposing administrative fines and issuing corrective orders."
Kim Se-hyung, Reporter fax123@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
