Tech giant employs record number of foreigners

Foreign employees at Samsung Electronics, the world’s biggest maker of smartphones, memory chips and flat-panel TVs, totaled more than 1,000, industry watchers said yesterday.

The figure is almost twice the foreign head count of about 600 in early 2009, mirroring the company’s growing presence in the global job market, they said. The increase is also in line with Samsung’s heightened brand value. The company is ranked the world’s ninth-best global brand, with its brand value coming to $32.9 billion, according to the annual “Best Global Brands” review by Interbrand. Samsung plans to keep up its overseas recruitment drive by offering internships and job opportunities for students who studied at U.S. universities. The company also aims to continue its support for foreign employees working in Korea. Samsung currently runs a Korean language course and a global help desk system to help new employees settle into Asia’s fourth-largest economy.

The company also supports family members of foreign employees by providing various cultural programs.

Yonhap