Labor ministry-backed scholarship sends 24 technical students to factories and chipmakers

The labor ministry said Tuesday that 24 students have been selected for the third class of a scholarship program that pays living costs for Korea Polytechnic University students training in technical fields, with nine of the new recipients having switched to vocational study from law, social welfare and theater.

The Manwoo Cho Hong-je Scholarship, run by Korea Polytechnic University with the Korea Tire Sharing Foundation, provides each student 18 million won ($13,475) a year, including a 6 million won ($4,492) living stipend and up to 1 million won ($749) for technical development. Students also receive monthly leadership training, overseas study trips to advanced manufacturing countries, mock interviews and mentoring from people working in their fields, with alumni networking and exam fees covered after graduation.

Selection weighed academic performance together with household income. The intake is split between newer industries such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence and robotics, and traditional sectors including electrical work, machinery and industrial equipment.

Of the 20 students in the first class, chosen in 2024, 14 found work at major manufacturers and production sites including SK hynix, Hyundai Motor, Kia, Hyundai Rotem and Korea Zinc. The 30 students in the second class, selected in 2025, are still in their second year, but 10 have already secured early job offers at KEPCO KPS, SeAH Besteel, LS Cable & System and Tesla.

One of them, Choi Jung, a 34-year-old electrical engineering student at the Ulsan campus, left an English language and literature program at a four-year university and earned seven certifications, including for electrical engineering and electrical construction work. He was hired by KEPCO KPS while still enrolled and started in July.

"Thanks to the scholarship program, I could focus on my studies without worrying about living expenses," Choi said. "Chairman Cho Hong-je's words that a small skill you carry is worth more than a fortune in wealth were a great spur to someone who started late."

Lee Chul-soo, chairman of Korea Polytechnic University, said the program hands students both living costs and room to grow so that none gives up a technical career because of their circumstances. "Scholars going out into Korea's core industrial sites prove that a skill is the surest asset of all," he said. "We will keep cultivating with the foundation the technical talent that will hold up Korean industry."

The scholarship was launched in 2024 by the Korea Tire Sharing Foundation to carry on the manufacturing-first, people-first approach of the late Cho Hong-je, a first-generation founder who built Hyosung Group and Hankook Tire. It is open only to students enrolled at Korea Polytechnic University and selects them on practical skill rather than academic credentials.