The Korea Electric Power Corp., the country's sole electricity power supplier, has a recruitment plan to employ 1,271 next year, followed by the National Health Insurance Service's 1,050 and Seoul National University Hospital's 873.

Asia's fourth-largest economy has been struggling with high unemployment rates for recent years due mainly to a protracted slowdown.

Its jobless rate has been hovering at around 3.5 percent for nearly a year, but the unemployment rate for young people aged between 15 and 29 hit an all-time high of 12.5 percent in February.

"Many young people are under a lot of pressure and stress due to the tightened job market," Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho said. "The government will create more jobs in a way that improves their quality of life and wellbeing." (Yonhap)