A company that rejected a candidate based on his baldness was advised to establish countermeasures to prevent the recurrence of such discrimination, National Human Rights Commission of Korea said Saturday.

The commission said that baldness is a physical trait that one has no control over and that it cannot be a factor that disadvantages one’s chance at employment.

The company, whose name remained anonymous, claimed the mechanical maintenance staff candidate had been turned away due to his lack of qualifications, but it had recommended him to wear a wig for an interview when it referred him to a new firm.

The commission made the final ruling in favor of him given that he found employment in the same field at the second firm he tried, suggesting that he had enough qualifications, which contradicted the first company’s claim. 

By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)