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Majority of companies have hired non-Korean students, Kotra survey finds

Published: 01 Jul. 2025, 11:53

Job seekers stand in front of booths at the Job Fair for International Students held at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Aug. 27, 2024. [NEWS1]

A majority of companies said they have experience hiring non-Korean students, according to a recent survey by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (Kotra).

Kotra announced the findings Tuesday, citing its survey conducted during this year’s Global Talent Fair held in May.

The survey, which gathered responses from 88 companies and 356 international students, found that 65 percent of companies reported having experience hiring non-Korean students.

Among the companies surveyed, 42 percent cited overseas market expansion as their main reason for hiring international talent. Other motivations included workforce diversification at 21.2 percent, a shortage of domestic applicants at 18.9 percent and the localization of products at 11.4 percent.

Regarding preferred job functions, 49 percent of companies expressed interest in hiring international students for sales roles. Research and development (R&D) followed at 30.7 percent, and administrative roles at 19.3 percent.

From the student side, R&D positions were the most preferred, chosen by 34.4 percent of respondents. This was followed by administrative roles at 31.2 percent, sales at 27 percent and production roles at 7.6 percent.

Kotra said that companies are increasingly seeking international candidates with both cultural and language skills, as well as professional expertise tailored to their positions. Rather than filling assistant roles, many firms are aiming to hire for expert-level positions.

In line with efforts to boost international student employment, Kotra will host additional job fairs in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang, as well as Daejeon and South Chungcheong, starting in September.

BY YOON SEUNGJ-JIN [[email protected]]