Labor ministry says Korea Polytechnics will hire 120 professors

The labor ministry said Tuesday that Korea Polytechnics will recruit 120 professors in its largest-ever faculty hiring drive, citing plans to expand teaching in strategic industries and upgrade traditional sectors through digital transformation.

The hiring supports the government's three megaprojects, with recruitment focused on semiconductors, artificial intelligence and electricity. The 19 disciplines also include machinery, industrial equipment, design, media and biotechnology, and the school will seek faculty to help modernize traditional industries amid AI and digital transformation. Of the positions, 22 are in electricity and 10 in semiconductors.

Korea Polytechnics will allocate 26 of the 120 positions to liberal arts in its largest such expansion. It said it will expand courses in communication, problem-solving, entrepreneurship, career planning and psychological counseling to develop creative thinking, resilience and flexibility identified in the World Economic Forum's 2025 Future of Jobs Report as core skills for future workers.

"Vocational education in the AI era must go beyond simply passing on technical skills and move toward people-centered education," Lee Cheol-su, chairman of Korea Polytechnics, said. "This recruitment will be a firm foundation for developing talent capable of creating future value by linking technology and liberal arts, and work and life."

Candidates must meet faculty qualification standards under the Higher Education Act and have at least three years of practical experience. The school is also encouraging applications from technical specialists with extensive industry experience, including nationally recognized master craftspeople and professional engineers.

Applications will be accepted in August 2026, with final appointments scheduled for the end of December 2026.