Generative AI toolkit introduced for the first time to ease HR burden on small and midsize companies; job competency bank to be upgraded

The headquarters of Human Resources Development Service of Korea in Jung-gu, Ulsan [Yonhap]
The headquarters of Human Resources Development Service of Korea in Jung-gu, Ulsan [Yonhap]

The Ministry of Employment and Labor and Human Resources Development Service of Korea, known as HRD Korea, plan to use generative AI to help companies build job-centered human resources management systems. Central to the effort is the first-ever introduction of an "AI Toolkit" designed to let HR managers apply AI to job design, recruitment and performance evaluation — with the goal of reducing the HR burden on small and midsize enterprises.

The ministry and HRD Korea held the "2026 First-Half National Competency Standards Utilization Expansion Council" at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on Friday.

The National Competency Standards, or NCS, is a government-developed framework that standardizes the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to perform jobs in industry. It provides benchmarks so that education and training, qualifications, recruitment and HR management can all be organized around actual job functions.

Ten related organizations attended the council, including the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Ministry of Education and the Korea Employers Federation. Participants discussed the current operation of the job competency bank, strategies to expand NCS use and plans for inter-agency cooperation.

HRD Korea released an "NCS Utilization Guidebook" at the event to help companies establish job-based HR systems. The guidebook covers the four core areas of HR management — job management, education and training, performance evaluation, and recruitment — and includes step-by-step procedures for building each system along with practical tools.

The guidebook incorporates a generative AI-powered "AI Toolkit" that HR managers can use for job analysis, job design, setting recruitment criteria and building evaluation frameworks. Ready-to-use HR forms are also provided to improve workplace efficiency.

The government also plans to upgrade its "job competency bank" service, which consolidates an individual's job competency records in one place. The system brings together information on certifications, completed education and training programs, and career history, and allows users to obtain an official "job competency certificate" for use in job searches or career development.

HRD Korea currently links 18 types of data to the job competency bank, including national technical qualifications, the National Education Information System, vocational training completion records and employment insurance enrollment data. Going forward, the agency plans to consolidate certificate issuance through the "Go-yong 24" employment portal to make the service more accessible.

"We will contribute to enhancing national competitiveness by operating the NCS system in line with the needs of industry," Kim Gyu-seok, HRD Korea's executive director for competency development, said. "We will work to spread a job-centered HR culture and lead the way in Korean human resource development."


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