New Careers Emerge in South Korea Amid Rise of AI and Electric Vehicles (Image supported by ChatGPT)
SEOUL, July 30 (Korea Bizwire) — As artificial intelligence advances and electric vehicles become more widespread, South Korea is witnessing the rise of new technology-driven professions—including automotive cybersecurity experts and AI service operations managers, according to a report released Wednesday by the Korea Employment Information Service (KEIS).
The newly identified occupations will be included in the forthcoming 6th edition of the Korean Standard Dictionary of Occupations, slated for publication in 2028. The publication, updated regularly, serves as a foundational guide for career counseling and employment policy.
In preparation for the update, KEIS reviewed over 1,000 existing and emerging jobs across industries such as electronics, chemicals, and food, conducting extensive task analysis and feasibility reviews. The previous edition, published in 2019, listed 16,891 occupations.
Among the new job categories are automotive cybersecurity specialists, a role growing in demand due to the expansion of electric vehicles and stricter safety and carbon neutrality regulations. Additionally, electricity demand response brokers are emerging as energy systems shift toward smarter grid technologies.
From EV Cybersecurity to Urban Air Mobility: Korea’s Jobs of the Future (Image supported by ChatGPT)
In the services sector, the diffusion of digital innovation has given rise to roles like AI service operations managers, reflecting how artificial intelligence is transforming both research and consumer-facing industries.
Existing professions are also evolving. For instance, traditional transportation engineers are transitioning into intelligent transport system (ITS) designers, tasked with developing traffic systems that incorporate AI and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies for real-time, bi-directional communication.
Other professions gaining prominence include aircraft certification specialists, expected to play a key role in the growing urban air mobility (UAM) market, as well as customer experience managers and medical physicists.
KEIS researcher Kim Joong-jin noted that even newer fields—such as generative AI content management and second-life battery performance evaluation—are beginning to emerge despite not yet being listed. “With rapid technological change, the life cycle of jobs is shortening,” Kim said. “It’s essential that we continue to monitor labor market trends in real time.”
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
