Samsung sees surge of foreign applicants

Some 700 foreigners from 47 countries have applied for positions as entry-level workers with Samsung in the company’s major recruitment drive for the first half of the year, the conglomerate said yesterday.

The figure is nearly five times higher than the 130 people from overseas who applied in the same period in 2009.

Samsung did not reveal comparable statistics for the last two years. All of the positions are based in Korea.

Applicants were drawn from 22 Asian countries, 11 European nations, six in the Americas, six in Africa and two in Oceania.

By nationality, Chinese accounted for the largest portion at 200, followed by 100 U.S. and 100 Canadian citizens.

Samsung will hire 4,500 workers - mostly Koreans - in its latest recruitment campaign.

So far, 50,000 people have applied at home and abroad, it said. The application deadline was March 7 and only university graduates were eligible.

The company plans to give overseas applicants English-language job aptitude tests in their countries of residence.