GGM Draws 1,596 Applicants for First Open Recruitment of the Year, Recording 34:1 Competition Rate

Biannual Recruitment Since 2021
"400 Additional Jobs with Two-Shift Operations"

Exterior view of Gwangju Global Motors.

The first open recruitment for new employees at Gwangju Global Motors (GGM) this year has attracted a large number of young job seekers, once again proving that GGM is the "hope for jobs in the Gwangju region."

GGM announced on January 20 that a total of 1,596 applicants applied for its first 2026 recruitment for technical and general positions, both entry-level and experienced, which closed on the 19th, resulting in an average competition rate of 34 to 1.

This influx of young job seekers to GGM is due to several factors: the recent move by a major beverage company to close its Gwangju plant, a simultaneous downturn in the electronics and construction industries, job losses and leaves of absence caused by fires at large manufacturing plants, and reduced production at the Yeosu petrochemical complex. As a result, job opportunities in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions are more frozen than ever.

The Gwangju region continues to experience the so-called "exodus from Gwangju" phenomenon, where young people leave for the Seoul metropolitan area due to youth unemployment and the weakening of the manufacturing base. In this context, GGM is recognized as a practical alternative and a "symbol of hope" by providing quality jobs for local youth. Therefore, the 1,596 applicants for this open recruitment represent more than just a number; it is a meaningful reflection of the earnest desire of young people who choose not to leave Gwangju, or who, having grown weary of difficult lives elsewhere, wish to return home and rebuild their lives in their hometown.

Since its establishment in 2019, GGM has conducted large-scale recruitment of over 600 new employees by 2021, when it began full-scale automobile mass production.

In the first open recruitment for new employees in 2021, 3,274 people applied for 43 general positions, resulting in a competition rate of 76.1 to 1, and 12,604 people applied for 186 technical positions, resulting in a high competition rate of 67.8 to 1, drawing significant attention. Notably, 95% of the applicants were young people from the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions, making GGM a "beacon of hope" for youth as a local job-creating company.

Since then, GGM has continued to provide jobs. In particular, with the start of Casper electric vehicle production, job numbers have increased significantly, with 102 new hires in 2024 and 69 new hires last year. This year, the company is recruiting new employees from the very beginning of the year through facility expansion, consistently hiring dozens to over a hundred people each year and establishing itself as a leading win-win job-creating company.

It is extremely rare in the Gwangju job market for a company to maintain double-digit or higher recruitment numbers and continue to grow after an initial large-scale recruitment of over 600 employees. Unlike many companies that primarily conduct irregular or small-scale replacement hiring, GGM has been able to continue regular open recruitment due to increased demand for additional personnel as a result of strong domestic and international sales of the Casper, as well as expanded production of electric and export vehicles. This demonstrates that the company is solidly established on a stable business foundation and steady growth.

A GGM representative stated, "If we had been able to implement two-shift work this year, we could have hired an additional 400 people, so it is very regrettable and disappointing that it did not happen. However, we are at least fortunate to be able to hire new employees through facility expansion. We will continue to pursue the transition to two-shift operations and do our utmost to create a quality workplace where around 1,000 direct and indirect jobs can be provided, so that local youth do not have to leave their hometown and can work in a stable and happy environment."