More large firms recruiting female college grads

The number of female university graduates getting jobs at large companies is on a dramatic upsurge.

According to business sources, Hyundai Corp. recruited 66 university graduates late last year, of which 26 or 39.4% of the total were women.

Traditionally, Hyundai has recruited a far higher percentage of male candidates. In the case of Samsung Corp., also a general trading company, the ratio of women among its new recruits from local universities soared from 11.7% of the total in 1998 to 19% in 1999 and 23.5% in 2000.

As general trading companies boost their focus on the Internet industry, the advancement of Net-savvy women has continued to grow.

As for the SK Group, the portion of female workers among new recruits surged from 6% of the total in 1994 to 11.7% in 1998, 20.9% in 1999 and 22.4% last year.

Opportunities for female college graduates are even more conspicuous in the advertising industry. Cheil Communications recruited a total of 281 university graduates in the past five years, 112 of whom were women.

The number of women in the financial industry is also rising at a rapid pace. Of the 329 university graduates recruited by Hyundai Securities Co. last year, 80 or 24.3% were female graduates. Shinhan Bank recruited 221 university graduates last year, and 51 or 23% of the total were women.

Lee Byong-Ki eye@donga.com