Hanwha Aerospace has apologized, in the name of CEO Lee Boo-hwan, for the controversy over experienced-hire recruitment guidelines that contained conditions unrelated to job duties, such as educational background and age. As the company has pledged to discipline the relevant departments and responsible individuals and to improve the overall recruitment process, attention is also focused on the responsible management and internal control role of Hanwha Group owner and Hanwha Aerospace CEO, Senior Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan.

CEO Lee Boo-hwan Apologizes... "Something That Should Never Have Happened"

Hanwha Aerospace CEO Lee Boo-hwan apologized on the 27th through a statement, saying that he caused disappointment over the experienced-hire recruitment guideline issue recently revealed through media reports. Lee stated that it was something that should never have happened that guidelines were created containing content that could restrict applicants' opportunities based on personal conditions such as educational background and age, which are unrelated to job performance, at a company that must fulfill its social responsibility through fair hiring.

In particular, he defined this matter as the company's fault, in which an incorrect guideline was distributed to the field without sufficient internal consultation and careful verification.

Disciplinary Action and Comprehensive Reform of Hiring System Announced

Hanwha Aerospace stated that it will sternly warn and discipline the relevant departments and responsible individuals who established and distributed the guideline, while reviewing internal processes and comprehensively improving the recruitment system to prevent the same problem from recurring. Disciplinary procedures against the responsible individuals are currently underway.

Ministry of Employment and Labor Begins Oversight

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Employment and Labor began oversight on the 16th regarding suspicions related to the recruitment guidelines. The company stated that the problematic guideline was not actually implemented in the hiring process.

A Test of Senior Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan's Responsible Management

A notable aspect of this case is the management's role in internal control. As Senior Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan serves as CEO of Hanwha Aerospace, attention is focused on how the company's promised improvements to the recruitment process and recurrence prevention measures will actually be reflected in organizational operations. In particular, this controversy is becoming an opportunity to examine the verification system and management and supervision procedures of the hiring process, going beyond the issue of drafting and distributing a specific guideline. The specific content of the improvements the company has announced, and whether they are implemented, will be points to watch going forward.

Senior Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan currently ranks 8th in the Businessperson category of the September Netizen Awards. Apart from the awards rankings, which reflect public interest in business figures, attention is also on what follow-up measures will be taken at the management level regarding this hiring controversy.

[This article is an informational piece written based on the apology statement released by Hanwha Aerospace, Korea Exchange filings, and the company's official corporate governance materials. It does not imply that any specific individual was directly involved in drafting or distributing the problematic recruitment guideline, and no responsibility relationships not confirmed in public materials were asserted. AI was used for organizing materials and structuring some sentences.]