This article on the bizarre interview tactics being used by some employers was one of the top-viewed articles on Naver back at the beginning of December. This translation comes from reader Christina Murphy.

Last month Mr. K received a surprise phone call. The caller identified himself as a police officer and told Mr. K that his friend was being held in custody due to a violent offense. As soon as Mr. K questioned the police officer about how genuine the call was, the call ended. A couple of hours later his embarrassed friend explained that it was part of a ‘pressure interview’. He was outraged that they had gone to such dramatic lengths all for a job interview.

Companies are now creating these ‘pressure interviews’ for people who are in the later stages of job applications. They present a dramatic problem to the applicants, usually that they have to help their troubled friend then, they have to improvise and solve the problem. It is common knowledge that companies ask applicants these kinds of questions. They want workers to be friendly and honest to each other and friends are usually understanding when they find out.

However, since these situations have been introduced, jobseekers’ human rights are being violated in these awkward situations

27-year-old Mr. Nam went for a final interview for a job in security, but during the interview he was criticised for his appearance and still feels awkward now. He considers himself to be bright and humerous, but during the interview the impression he gave was uptight. The questions during the interview were so awkward that even the females on the interview panel were blushing. Mr. Nam was also asked irrelevant questions about his parents’ employment.

People are now sharing their experiences via study groups and websites.

27-year-old Mr. Kang, a participant of a study into the ‘pressure interviews’ said that due to so many questions being asked, the applicants’ weaknesses show. A jobseeker can’t really object to such an interview.

Jeong Tae-yong, president of an employment consultancy firm, also added that even if you answer the questions honestly and show your intelligence in the interview, they will still judge you by your appearance.