Korea’s major companies are coming forward to hire blockchain specialists in time for their open recruitment in the first half of this year. In particular, such companies as Samsung SDS, Kakao and Line having their own blockchain platforms are making swift moves.

According to the blockchain industry Thursday, Samsung SDS is recruiting career employees in the financial digital consulting sector through Friday. Samsung SDS operates its self-developed enterprise blockchain platform Nexledger.

The financial digital consulting sector aims to map out the sophistication of financial systems utilizing IT technologies like chatbot and blockchain. Process designing and innovation related to financial projects are also included in this sector. Samsung SDS is gearing up to hire talented persons with expertise, riding on the wave of employing blockchain networks. “Understanding blockchain technology in financial consulting is one of the major required abilities,” a Samsung SDS official said.

Some companies are active in nurturing junior software developers. Global mobile platform service provider Line Plus created a blockchain sector in its first-half application guidelines for intern employees in the software development segment. This is seen as a move to step up development efforts for Line’s blockchain platform LINK. Specific job groups include blockchain back-end development, mainnet software and DevOps. Because the hiring process is intended for developers, there will be online coding tests. Applicants are employed as full-time workers through interview following an eight-week internship period.

Kakao’s subsidiary GroundX is also eager to take on talent. As the release of Kakao’s blockchain platform Klaytn is in the offing, the company is spurring its recruitment move. Apart from the job group of blockchain platform development, GroundX is looking for competent persons in network storage, encryption security and computation. Product managers and technical writers are also subject to its year-round recruitment program. In addition, 25 year-round recruitment notices are posted.

“We are looking for talent in various fields including technology, business and staffing. We are not bound by our quota plan if there are talented people,” a GroundX official said.

State-run companies are also joining in the competition to recruit blockchain specialists. The Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corp. (KOMSCO) is ready to hire blockchain technology researchers in its specialist job group. The state-run company partners with LG CNS to push for a blockchain-based mobile local gift card project on the basis of Monachain, LG’s enterprise blockchain platform. This is intended to employ talented people for research and development.

Some businesses ask job-seekers to arm themselves with blockchain technology additionally. The Industrial Bank of Korea added the blockchain coding as a required ability in its digital employment sector.

“As the blockchain industry keeps growing, securing talent is increasingly becoming essential. If the blockchain infrastructure expands, the relevant business will become activated naturally,” a blockchain expert said.

Yet some skeptics stress the need to embrace new players, saying, “Only a few familiar names are growing bigger.” /edshin@decenter.kr

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