Strengthening Employment Connections with "Public Sector Attractive Jobs"
Up to 18 Months of Seoul Living Wage and Additional Support
Expanding to "Private Sector Jobs" Led by Private Companies
The Seoul Metropolitan Government will expand its stepping-stone job program, "Seoul Attractive Jobs," to a total of 3,600 positions next year. "Seoul Attractive Jobs" is a program that connects participants to private sector employment through job training and hands-on experience. In 2026, a new "Artificial Intelligence (AI) Utilization" field will be added to the public job training curriculum.
The city has restructured the program to focus on achieving tangible results in connecting participants to private sector jobs, moving beyond simply providing public sector work experience. This change reflects the high level of public interest and competition for the Attractive Jobs program.
On the 24th, job seekers are studying at the Youth Employment Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, amid ongoing employment difficulties. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on December 24, the scale of the Attractive Jobs program will be expanded from 3,500 positions in the previous year to 3,600 positions in 2026 (1,620 in the public sector, 1,980 in the private sector). The proportion of private sector Attractive Jobs will be increased to 55% of the total program, further strengthening the function of connecting participants to private sector employment.
The public sector Attractive Jobs program offers participants the opportunity to work at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, district offices, or affiliated institutions, providing both specialized job training and practical work experience to support entry into private sector jobs. In 2026, a total of 1,620 participants will be selected through 164 projects.
Eligible participants are Seoul residents aged 18 or older who are currently unemployed. Participants can work for up to 18 months. During the employment period, they will receive the Seoul-type living wage (an hourly wage of 12,121 won, approximately 2.52 million won per month), and they will also receive support for job training as well as up to three annual reimbursements (up to 50,000 won per test) for qualification and language exam fees.
The public sector Attractive Jobs program is divided into two types: "Companion for the Disadvantaged," which provides work experience in fields related to supporting vulnerable groups, and "Career Development," which offers specialized public sector work experience. Notably, in 2026, the city will introduce "AI Utilization" as a new field in the public job training curriculum in response to the growing use of artificial intelligence and the digital transformation trend. Through this, the city aims to help participants transfer their public sector AI experience to private sector employment opportunities.
The city will also reform the public sector Attractive Jobs job training system. The job training fields will be consolidated into six areas: management planning, administrative work, culture and arts management, care, education and counseling, and AI utilization. This integration aims to standardize training quality and expand educational opportunities. New participants must complete 40 hours of mandatory training in one of the six fields (management planning, administrative work, culture and arts management, care, education and counseling, AI utilization) over one to two weeks before starting work, and they can also receive 40 hours of training during their employment period.
The private sector Attractive Jobs program is characterized by private companies and organizations leading job training and internship programs, with the goal of connecting participants to full-time employment. In 2026, the program will expand to 1,980 positions, an increase of 230 compared to the previous year.
For the "Private Organization Collaboration Type" (590 positions), associations or organizations in fields such as welfare, culture, arts, design, tourism, food service, and small business will be selected to provide job training (2 weeks to 1 month) and internships (6 months), followed by job placement in related fields. The private sector Attractive Jobs program will begin recruiting participants in March or April after selecting operators in February next year, providing job seekers aiming for private sector employment with practical opportunities to build their careers.
Joo Yongtae, Director of Economic Policy at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated, "Seoul Attractive Jobs is not a program that simply provides short-term jobs. It is a policy focused on building job skills that can be immediately applied in the workplace and connecting participants to private sector employment. In the new year, with the strengthening of private sector connections and the introduction of the AI utilization field, we will proactively respond to the changing job market and enhance citizens' practical competitiveness in employment."
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