[K-Women Talk] Mid-Sized Companies Hidden by the Gods Beyond 'Gosamdongpung'

KAI, HiteJinro, and Others Rank High in Employee Ratings
Praised for Salary, Benefits, and Work-Life Balance
Job Hunting Is Like Investing: Discovering Hidden Gems

Isuk Eun, Publisher of Employment Backbone · CEO of Lee's Bookstore

Are you familiar with the term ‘Gosamdongpung’? It is even more famous in the job market than ‘SKY’ or ‘Seoseonghan’. The term takes the first letters of four mid-sized companies with working conditions as good as global conglomerates: Korea Zinc, Samchully Gas, Dongseo Foods, and Poongsan.

This term originated over a decade ago, and with the rise of companies in growth sectors like IT, semiconductors, and secondary batteries, some might say "Gosamdongpung is outdated." In fact, during the COVID-19 period, IT companies known as ‘Nekakubaedtong’ were popular, and recently, export giants called ‘Samsukhyun’ have topped the rankings of frequently mentioned companies among job seekers. For reference, ‘Nekakubaedtong’ stands for Naver, Kakao, Coupang, Baedal Minjok, Danggeun Market, and Toss, while ‘Samsukhyun’ refers to Samsung Electronics, SK Group companies, and Hyundai Motor. All of these companies receive absolute support from job seekers for their salaries, welfare, and growth potential.

Is there really no new ‘Gosamdongpung’ among mid-sized companies that can rival conglomerates? Could there be some we don’t know about? To find the answer, we compiled reviews and ratings from two corporate information sites and checked actual management status through the electronic disclosure system. From the list we selected, we introduce four companies often described as ‘hidden by the gods’ because they are not well known.

KAI, Hajin, Jungst, and F-duc. These companies, known by their abbreviations, not only easily surpass a 3.5 rating from current employees but also excel in salary, welfare, and work-life balance?factors highly valued by the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z). These four companies are especially reputed for their excellent working conditions in production roles.

Korea Aerospace Industries, known as KAI, is a defense contractor manufacturing aircraft and launch vehicles. Like POSCO and KT, it has strong stability due to having national policy banks as major shareholders, giving it a quasi-public enterprise character. HiteJinro, a traditional liquor company celebrating its 100th anniversary, boasts the best working conditions in its industry. Both companies offer starting salaries of 60 million KRW, average annual salaries exceeding 100 million KRW, and average tenure of over 15 years. They employ around 3,000 and 5,000 people respectively, with relatively active recruitment of new employees.

Jungst stands for Jeongil Stolt Heaven. It is a joint venture between Ulsan’s Jeongil Energy and the Netherlands’ Stolt, operating as a liquid cargo terminal company. It handles the loading, unloading, and storage of imported liquid petroleum products. It is the top company in East Asia in this field, boasting an operating profit margin of 30%. F-duc refers to Air Products Korea, a foreign company manufacturing industrial gases. Headquartered in the U.S. and ranked among the Fortune 500, it scores well in work-life balance and stability. Besides these, there are surprisingly many hidden ‘divine workplaces’ such as Yuhan-Kimberly, Dongkuk CM, and Linde Korea. Especially, the urban and industrial gas supply sector, often called ‘gas houses’ among job seekers, generally offers good working conditions and should definitely be on your list of interests.

There is an investment adage: ‘Buy on rumors, sell on news.’ It means buying cheaply when others don’t know and selling when everyone is enthusiastic. Job preparation is similar to investing. When you find and apply to well-hidden companies, you benefit from lower competition and better rewards. Hopefully, new terms continuing the legacy of Gosamdongpung will keep emerging!

Lee Sook-eun, Publisher of Employment Backbone and CEO of Lee’s Bookstore