University departments related to shipbuilding that were shunned by students during the shipbuilding slump have begun to draw attention from young people again. The elevated status of Korea’s shipbuilding industry is now visible on campus. There is also hope that the foundation of Korea’s technological competitiveness in shipbuilding will be strengthened.

According to the education sector and the shipbuilding industry on the 26th, admission competition rates for shipbuilding-related departments at domestic universities have been steadily rising in recent years.

According to Jongno Academy, the regular admission competition rate (early decision) for the Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering at Seoul National University rose from 3.23 to 1 in 2018 to 9.68 to 1 for the 2026 academic year, roughly tripling. Compared with the slight increase in the overall competition rate for the humanities and natural sciences from 7.20 to 1 to 7.96 to 1 during the same period, the uptrend is more pronounced.

The situation is similar at eight regional flagship national universities and maritime universities with shipbuilding and ocean-related departments (Kangwon National University, Gyeongsang National University, Pusan National University, Chonnam National University, Chungnam National University, Jeju National University, Mokpo National Maritime University, Korea Maritime and Ocean University). The average early decision competition rate for related departments nearly doubled from 4.49 to 1 in 2022 to 8.08 to 1 in 2026. The regular admission competition rate also rose from 3.99 to 1 to 6.61 to 1.

The change feels even bigger in graduate schools, the cradle of research and development talent. According to Seoul National University, the early admission competition rate for the master’s program in the Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering for the 2026 academic year is 1.71 to 1. This contrasts with the shortfall of applicants during the industry downturn in 2019, when it was 0.25 to 1.

For the doctoral program, both early and regular admissions in 2019 drew fewer applicants than the quota, at 0.2 to 1 and 0.67 to 1, respectively, but for early 2026 and late 2025, the competition rates reached 1.4 to 1 and 2.33 to 1.

With high application rates, there have recently been repeated cases of bringing over openings from other departments that fell short to admit new graduate students.

Seo In-deok (33), who graduated from the Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering at Seoul National University and is pursuing a doctorate in the same department, said, “When I entered graduate school for the 2014 academic year, the number of applicants fell short of the quota, but these days it has become a place that is hard to get into even if you want to,” adding, “More students are seeking jobs not in academia but at shipbuilding companies.”

Industry officials expect this trend to lead to stronger technological competitiveness in Korea’s shipbuilding industry. In a virtuous cycle, favorable market conditions cultivate top talent, who then flow back into the shipbuilding sector. The shipbuilding business urgently needs new technologies such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and autonomous navigation.
Competition to join major shipbuilders is intensifying as well, not just at universities. At Hanwha Ocean, the number of applicants for open recruitment of new university graduates rose from the 5,000–6,000 range in 2023 to around 7,000 in 2024 and then to 17,000 in 2025. The number of applicants for new hires at HD Hyundai also increased by about 66% compared with the second half of 2022.

With the economy strong, the three major companies are expanding hiring. Samsung Heavy Industries doubled its recruitment of research positions and grade-3 entry-level employees last year compared with previous years. Hanwha Ocean is also increasing hiring each year and scaling up. As of the end of 2024, total headcount was 10,202, up 15% from 8,892 at the end of 2023.

After the market recovered, HD Hyundai hired about 1,000 people in 2024 and about 1,500 in 2025, and plans to hire about 2,000 this year. From 2025 to 2029, the group will hire about 10,000 new employees.

A shipbuilding industry official said, “There are many pressing research and development tasks, such as how to design an LPG carrier that can barely pass through the narrow Panama Canal while maximizing cargo capacity, and how to reduce ship vibration and noise to improve the economics of operation,” adding, “To develop even eco-friendly and autonomous ships, recruiting top talent is essential, so we are working to win them over by improving compensation and other conditions.”

Lee Sin-hyeong, head of the Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering at Seoul National University, said, “Unlike competitors, the strength that enables Korean shipyards to produce a wide variety in small batches comes from robust R&D and design personnel.”

Source: CHOSUNBIZ