S. Korea's Defense Majors Continue Hiring Binge

Hanwha Aerospace (orange), LIG Nex1 (blue), and Hyundai Rotem (green) have been on a hiring spree, with Hanwha accounting for 53% of the growth. (Source: Seoul Economic Daily)

The combined overall headcount at South Korea’s three largest defense contractors — Hanwha Aerospace, LIG Nex1, and Hyundai Rotem — grew by 9.7% (1,599) between 2024-2025, and now totals 16,630.

Among the 1,599 new positions created, a substantial portion was known to be in R&D. In addition to hiring talent to develop next-generation technologies, such as AI and uncrewed systems, the hiring demand was also attributed to increasing export opportunities and the consequent customer requirements to adapt existing systems for use across varying terrains and climates.

All three companies have seen a steep increase in hiring since 2022, as illustrated in the above infographic.