More than half of South Korea's largest companies have established new hiring plans for the second half of 2026, although the survey indicates limited expansion in recruitment volumes. The Federation of Korean Industries surveyed 121 companies among the country's 500 largest firms by revenue and found that 51.2% had finalized plans, up 14 percentage points from a year earlier. The share of undecided companies fell to 28.1%, while those with no plans declined to 20.7%. Among companies with recruitment plans, 50.0% intend to maintain a similar hiring scale, 25.8% plan to reduce hiring and 24.2% plan to increase it. Caution remained strongest in wholesale and retail, construction and civil engineering, and distribution and logistics, where domestic demand and construction conditions remain weak. Companies are increasingly combining open recruitment with rolling hiring, while organizational fit remains the most important evaluation factor. Firms said deregulation, stronger tax and financial incentives, and greater flexibility in employment systems would most help increase youth employment.