Invest KOREA

The largest job fair in Korea was co-hosted this year by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and co-organized by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), Human Resources Development Service of Korea (HRDK), National Institute for International Education (NIIED), Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seocho-gu, Korean Industrial Technology Association (KOITA), and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). The annual event supports global companies in their recruitment efforts to find qualified local talent, as well as international students seeking to find work opportunities in Korean companies.

A combined 421 businesses took part in this year's event—143 overseas companies, 171 foreign-invested companies, and 107 domestic companies—looking to discover and hire qualified talent in Korea, as well as international students from various backgrounds. Overseas companies like EcoPro CAM Canada, Agoda, and Natural Life Nutrition, as well as Korean companies like Amorepacific, LG U+, and Hankook Tire & Technology set up their booths to welcome jobseekers. Foreign-invested companies in Korea like IKEA Korea, Adecco Korea, Schneider Electric Korea, Nestle Korea, and more also offered recruitment services for visitors looking to secure jobs.

According to a survey conducted at the event, among the participating foreign-invested companies, 30.8% sought out talent in sales and operations, 26.5% in engineering, and 22.7% in management and marketing. Among the domestic businesses wishing to hire international students, 33.6% wanted staff in information and communications technology (ICT) and software, 29% in sales and operations, 18.7% in engineering, and 18.7% in management and marketing.

This year's event added a recruitment hall for high-tech industries featuring 69 cutting-edge companies in six industries—semiconductor, future car, ICT and software, biotechnology, secondary battery and display. The engineering, management and marketing, and sales and operations sectors saw the highest demand for employees.

Furthermore, young Korean jobseekers wishing to work abroad were able to participate in interviews and employment counseling sessions at recruiting booths hosted by foreign companies. Other employment services at the fair included a "job concert," in which jobseekers learned about available jobs and employment success studies, and were provided one-on-one critiques of their resumes. Those who submitted their resumes in advance and selected by participating companies were invited to job interviews at the fair. Jobseekers who were not selected for interviews were still able to visit, meeting company officials and recruiters at the event.