Working in South Korea

As the world’s ninth largest exporter, South Korea’s primary focus is on labour-intensive manufactured exports. As the home of brands like Hyundai-Kia, LG and Samsung it is easy to understand why South Korea’s economy is the fifteenth largest in the world.  A large number of expats in South Korea are English teachers and US Armed forces personnel. However, there are growing numbers of people in managerial positions, engineers and IT specialists tempted by the fast-paced lifestyle South Korea has to offer.

Most companies offer good relocation packages to their employees. Benefits usually include a furnished apartment or generous housing allowance, flights home each year and a thirteenth cheque. Expats hired from overseas can expect airfare reimbursements, but those hired from within the country may not get this benefit.

Finding a job from within South Korea often becomes more complicated and will involve visa runs because it is virtually impossible to change from a tourist visa to a working visa from inside the country.

The majority of expat jobs are in the major cities and industrial zones, like Seoul and Incheon. Speaking Korean and another Asian language, particularly Mandarin or Japanese, can often help in securing a better salary package for the higher level jobs.