45 Central Government Ministries to Open Youth Intern Recruitment Announcements This Month... Total of 2,000 Selected

Government Ministries to Recruit Youth Interns for the First Time in 13 Years

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Eight central government ministries will announce recruitment this month and hire 269 youth interns. The working period is from early March to April until September to October. The target age is 19 to 34 years old according to the Youth Basic Act. Recruitment announcements will also be posted collectively on Nara Ilteo.

According to the Prime Minister's Office on the 23rd, starting with recruitment by eight ministries this month (Office for Government Policy Coordination, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Korea Customs Service, Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Statistics Korea, Korea Forest Service, Korean Intellectual Property Office, Ministry of Employment and Labor), a total of 45 central administrative agencies will hire about 2,000 youth interns.

Next month, 22 central ministries (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Ministry of National Defense, Cultural Heritage Administration, Korea Meteorological Administration, National Tax Service, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Unification, Financial Services Commission, Fair Trade Commission, Ministry of Government Legislation, Saemangeum Development and Investment Agency, Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, Military Manpower Administration, Ministry of Personnel Management, Public Procurement Service, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency) will post recruitment announcements.

Then in April, eight ministries (Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, Government Integrity Commission, Korea Coast Guard, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport) and after May, two ministries (Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Rural Development Administration) will announce recruitment. Five agencies including the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Police Agency, and National Fire Agency, which have not yet finalized schedules, are also preparing recruitment plans. In total, 45 central ministries will hire about 2,000 youth interns.

Youth intern recruitment is a follow-up measure to the ‘Youth Intern Activation Plan’ announced by the government in January. It was introduced to increase youth work experience opportunities and expand participation in national affairs.

Central Administrative Agencies Planning to Announce Youth Intern Recruitment in February (Source: Prime Minister's Office)

The government decided to hire youth interns in central administrative agencies for the first time in 13 years since the global financial crisis caused severe youth employment difficulties in 2009-2010. Starting with 2,000 this year, the number will gradually increase to 4,000 in 2026, aiming to hire more than 10,000 over the next four years.

The tasks assigned to youth interns will also be enhanced. The Office for Government Policy Coordination will manage the interns to ensure they do not perform only simple tasks by providing pre-education on understanding national affairs, one-on-one mentoring with public officials, and meetings with agency heads. The Ministry of Employment and Labor operates a one-on-one responsibility mentoring system for youth interns and supports participation in policy promotion idea contests. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport offers policy field experience, career counseling, and employment linkage.

An official from the Office for Government Policy Coordination said, “We will provide various job sites according to the characteristics of each agency and operate with balanced placement so that local youth can participate evenly.” They emphasized that youth interns will be able to gain practical experience in specialized fields considering their majors and areas of interest.

Additionally, to assist youth job-seeking activities, a ‘Youth Intern Career Certificate’ will be issued, and a ‘Youth Intern Essay Contest’ will be held to share experiences of participating in national affairs and policy fieldwork. To promote work experience, a ‘Work Experience Policy Council’ will be formed, holding its first meeting on the 28th to regularly check each ministry’s operation plans and progress.

Song Kyung-won, Director of Youth Policy Coordination at the Office for Government Policy Coordination, said, “Youth interns are expected to bring vitality to the public service by gaining work experience and participating in national affairs. We will also make efforts to communicate directly with youth to ensure this system operates effectively.”