Samsung's Talent Philosophy Raises Questions for Korea's Future

"If in doubt, don't hire; once hired, don't doubt." This was the talent philosophy of Lee Byung-chull, founder of Samsung.

During employee interviews, Lee would have Jesan Park Jae-hyun, one of the era's most renowned physiognomists, sit in on the process. Lee formed this relationship after hearing that Park Tae-joon, chairman of POSCO, occasionally flew by helicopter to consult with Jesan.

In 1972, when President Park Chung-hee sought Jesan's advice while planning the Yushin reforms, the physiognomist wrote on a cigarette pack the characters for "ghost of the underworld"—a prophetic warning that landed him in custody with the Korean Central Intelligence Agency. His prediction proved accurate. During interviews, Jesan would provide Lee with character assessments based on physiognomy and fortune-telling, which were fully utilized in talent selection.

The late Chairman Lee Kun-hee also had a distinctive approach to talent management. At a June 2002 executive meeting on "securing S-class talent," he declared: "Visit them three times if you must, but bring in good people. Recruiting even one such person is a major achievement. I'll applaud you for it."

This philosophy led to talent development accounting for 40% of executive performance evaluations. Lee emphasized that "one genius feeds 100,000 employees" and insisted Samsung must become a "paradise for brains." When subsidiary presidents reported plans for new businesses, his first question was always: "Do you have the people?" If they answered they would start recruiting, he would thunder: "What business can you do without people?"

Samsung, the only major Korean conglomerate maintaining a regular recruitment system for new graduates, began its first-half hiring on the 10th. The Samsung Global Aptitude Test (GSAT), introduced in 1957, boasts 70 years of history—a stark contrast to other major corporations shifting to rolling and experienced-hire recruitment.

Major competitor nations are now engaged in fierce "talent wars." The United States and China are attracting top talent like black holes, while Japan has become a net importer of artificial intelligence talent. Korea's attractiveness for talent acquisition has languished between 30th and 40th globally since the 2020s, with AI talent in net outflow.

Perhaps the Samsung family's talent philosophy poses a weighty question for Korea's economy.