Artificial intelligence emerged as the sole bright spot in South Korea's job market last year, with AI-related job postings more than tripling in two years even as overall hiring demand fell to historic lows.
A joint analysis by The Seoul Economic Daily and recruitment platform Wanted Lab (376980) of new job postings from 2023 to 2025 found that the AI job posting index reached 238.1 in the second half of 2025, more than doubling from the baseline period in the first half of 2023. On a quarterly basis, the index hit 314.9 in the third quarter of 2025, exceeding three times the first-quarter 2023 baseline.
AI positions include roles in developing and operating AI models such as large language models (LLM), machine learning operations (MLOps), and natural language processing (NLP). Job postings surged as companies scrambled to secure AI talent following the ChatGPT boom in early 2023.
The expanding demand for AI workers spilled over into data-related fields. The job posting index for data utilization roles, including data engineering and business intelligence analysis, grew approximately 1.5 times to 146.5 in the second half of 2025. The index peaked at 193.2 in the third quarter of 2025, nearly doubling from the baseline. As data is essential for AI model development, growth in the AI industry has driven up demand for data professionals.
Last year, the job opening-to-applicant ratio fell to 0.36, the lowest since record-keeping began in 2001. While the number of job seekers remained similar, job openings dropped from 2.41 million in 2022 to 1.3 million last year.
In contrast, demand for AI talent increased regardless of industry or region. An analysis by Jobkorea of postings on its platform in January and February this year showed a 67% year-over-year increase in listings containing the keyword "AI." The demand spanned all job categories, including planning, sales, and design. In the second half of last year, AI-related postings rose 42% in the Seoul metropolitan area and 34% in other regions compared to the same period a year earlier.
"Looking at recent job postings, AI-related positions are appearing across the board—not just at IT companies but also in retail, finance, and both private and public sectors," an industry official said.
