Companies are increasingly hiring former convicts to help them readjust to society. (Image : Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb.15 (Korea Bizwire) – Companies are increasingly hiring former convicts to help them readjust to society.
Kim Chang-sup, president of shipbuilder Taesung Enterprise, commented that he is satisfied as long as one person who is released from prison can settle in society. He has recruited 21 former prisoners until now.
President Kang Seong-gok of Fusion Tech, a furniture parts manufacturer, has also provided new lives for individuals released from prison. A total of 17 employees, which represents 30 percent of the company’s staff, are ex-cons. One of them is the head of the team responsible for half of the company’s sales.
Despite opposition from his acquaintances, Kang, who had an unhappy childhood, has hired 103 former convicts since 2011. He helped those who did not have a family to feed save up for their future, and provides scholarships for four of these special employees’ children every quarter.
The Ministry of Justice has held a special ‘job fair’ event to introduce businesses to ex-offenders since 2009. Over the past seven years, 5,688 businesses have participated, and 938 people succeeded in landing jobs.
The Ministry announced that it will give an award to businesses that were successful in hiring former prisoners and helping them get back on their feet. A total of 28 companies, including the two mentioned above, are expected to be rewarded at the next job fair event, which will be held on February 15.
A total of 7,000 prisoners from 53 institutions across the country will go through interviews in their civilian clothes.
The practice of offering job interviews in civilian clothes was adopted at eight institutes in April 2015. As reactions were positive, the program will be expanded to other facilities all over the country.
The Ministry of Justice explained that it plans to expand the number of job interviews from once every quarter to every other month, and concentrate on actually supporting employment through interviews in civilian clothing.
By M.H.Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
