Samil Accounting Corporation website capture

This article was published on July 8, 2025, at 4:35 p.m. on the ChosunBiz MoneyMove website.

Samil Accounting Corporation, a major accounting firm in Korea, has established a new separate examination system this year to select candidates with digital capabilities among certified public accountant exam passers. This is attracting attention as it is the first official example of hiring professionals with specialized skills amidst major accounting firms strengthening related organizations.

According to the accounting industry on the 8th, Samil has created a digital evaluation for this year's recruitment announcement for new certified public accountants. Through this evaluation, Samil will recruit talents in three major fields: programming, data, and artificial intelligence (AI). Candidates wanting to apply for this evaluation must be proficient in digital product development through programming.

Last year, Samil also favored candidates capable of data processing and analysis alongside those proficient in foreign languages and science and engineering majors. As a result, among more than 300 new accountants recruited last year, over 50 had relevant skills and received additional points. However, this is the first time a separate evaluation has been created. Applications for the digital evaluation can be submitted until the 28th, and candidates who do not pass can apply for the assurance evaluation, which is open until August 11.

Candidates in the programming field should be proficient in programming languages such as Python and VBA, and should have experience in automation, such as web scraping and macro development. In particular, Samil has stated web front-end or back-end implementation experience as preferred qualifications. The front-end is responsible for creating the user-visible interface, while the back-end deals with environments not visible to the user.

For the data field, candidates must have the ability to utilize data analysis and visualization tools, an understanding of database commands (SQL), and relational databases. Experience in statistical analysis and machine learning data analysis will be favored. For AI utilization, candidates should have experience with Generative AI application programming interfaces (APIs), open-source projects, or related tasks; having experience in planning, designing, and developing solutions based on these will yield additional points.

Samil explained the background for the establishment of the digital evaluation, stating, “We believe that the ability to utilize AI and digital tools will become the most important skill for accounting professionals in the future, and accordingly, we aim to verify and prefer this expertise not only in improving our internal staff capabilities but also in the hiring process for new accountants.”

Graphic=Jeong Seo-hee

Large accounting firms, including Samil, have been actively increasing their digital and AI capabilities. Before the recruitment announcement, Samil highlighted digital and AI experts such as Deputy Director Lee Seung-hwan in their regular personnel evaluation. Alongside this, Samil officially launched the 'AX Node' organization to support digital transformation (DX) and AI transformation (AX) innovation.

At this regular personnel evaluation, experts in DX and AX also received promotions at Samjeong and Anjin. Last month, Anjin expanded its existing data analysis and solution development organization in the accounting and audit sector into a group. On the 1st, they established an organization that consolidates AI experts from various institutional sectors.

There is also an active movement among applicants to acquire digital and AI capabilities. A representative from a major accounting firm noted, “In the past, after the second exam, there was a trend of going on overseas trips to relax, but recently I heard that they attend programming academies,” adding, “There are many relevant questions at university recruitment briefings, indicating high interest.”

This trend is not unrelated to the narrowing of recruitment opportunities in accounting firms recently. Applicants are acquiring various skills to increase their chances of passing. This year, the estimated recruitment scale for the Big Four accounting firms is around 700 people; including other accounting firms, it is estimated to be around 800 to 900. This is a decrease compared to last year (1,000), and as this year’s job seekers are expected to exceed 1,400, the employment difficulties for accountants are anticipated to intensify compared to last year.

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