Samsung Group said Wednesday that it will hire an additional 600 disabled people this year, adding to its group of 3,300.

This year is the second consecutive one in which the country’s top conglomerate is openly recruiting those with disabilities, according to its chief communications officer Rhee In-yong.

“We have employed a total of 3,300 people with disabilities as of March, reaching 1.6 percent of all employees, but we will continue the effort to meet the government’s legal recommendation of 2.5 percent,” he said.

Rhee also said that the conglomerate has recruited an expert in the hiring of the disabled and is in the process of devising related policies and transforming the working environment into a comfortable environment for the group.

Since employing 600 workers with disabilities in 2005, Samsung has gradually increased the figure to 1,500 in 2007, 1,700 in 2009 and 2,600 in 2010.

By Cho Ji-hyun  (sharon@heraldcorp.com)