South Korea's Job Market Revolution: The Rise of 'Secondhand Rookies'

South Korea's Job Market Revolution: The Rise of 'Secondhand Rookies'

A wave of young professionals in South Korea is reshaping the traditional career path by reapplying for entry-level jobs at major firms—despite already holding full-time roles elsewhere. This trend, often dubbed 'half-returning,' is reshaping the country’s employment landscape and squeezing out first-time job seekers.

The 'Half-Returning' Phenomenon

A growing number of young South Koreans are reentering the job market while still employed—juggling full-time work with study groups, test prep, and interviews in pursuit of better opportunities at major firms. Kim, 30, works at a major consulting firm but recently joined a 'job-switch study group' with peers in their 30s. Together, they prepare for aptitude tests and interviews for finance jobs.

'To stay competitive in the job market, most of us apply as 'secondhand rookies' rather than experienced hires,' he said, referring to candidates who leave a current job to reapply for entry-level roles at more desirable companies.

The Impact on Traditional Job Seekers

This flood of experienced candidates is crowding out traditional job seekers. Choi, 28, has been preparing for full-time employment for the past two years. Despite earning strong English test scores and entering a startup pitch competition, he has repeatedly failed to pass résumé screenings at major companies.

'With all these high-spec secondhand rookies in the mix, it’s hard to even get a shot,' he said.

The Broader Economic Context

S. Korea’s youth unemployment crisis is deepening as this trend compounds longstanding economic pressures like sluggish domestic consumption and weakening exports. According to Statistics Korea on May 26, the unemployment rate for those aged 15 to 29 hit 7.3% in April—the highest for that month since 2022, when it peaked at 7.4% near the end of the pandemic.

The broader 'expanded unemployment rate'—which includes job seekers, part-timers looking for better jobs, and those taking time off from job hunting—rose to 16.8%. In effect, one in six young people is unemployed.

Labor Polarization

Even those who reenter the job market overwhelmingly aim for large corporations, rather than small and midsize businesses—exacerbating labor polarization. Park Cheol-seong, a professor at Hanyang University, analyzed government data and found that in 2023, only 7.6% of employees at large firms had previously worked at smaller companies, down from 14.1% in 2005.

'Even when companies hire experienced workers, they tend to trade talent only within their own tier,' Park said. 'The pipeline from small firms to large corporations is steadily drying up.'