High youth unemployment is a serious problem, but that does not mean there are no jobs available. According to figures released in June by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, 114,000 jobs were waiting for someone to fill them.

Businesses that did not recruit new staff despite trying say working conditions did not meet the expectations of jobseekers (22.5 percent) and the jobs were in an unpopular sector and industry (17.2 percent).

A dozen jobseekers with a bachelor's degree interviewed by the Chosun Ilbo all wanted a job with a large corporation, even if that meant they would stay unemployed for longer. They said small and medium-sized firms have an insecure future, their marriage prospects would suffer if they worked for a smaller company, and they do not like working conditions there.

A staffer with a job portal site said, "There are many small or medium-sized companies that have a lot of potential even if they pay slightly less than large businesses. In the long term, staff will get much bigger opportunities in sound SMEs."