Young South Koreans Turn to Japan for Work Amid Tough Job Market at Home
Japanese entrepreneur Moe Kasugai noticed something striking while studying at Seoul’s Yonsei University: even the brightest graduates from one of South Korea’s top schools often struggled to land jobs. In 2019, she founded KOREC, a service matching Korean job seekers with Japanese employers. “I was surprised that they couldn’t find a job because they were so smart,” the 35-year-old said at a two-day KOREC job fair in Seoul last month. “Many could speak Japanese, so I thought it might be better for them to go to Japan. I wanted to help.” South Korean young people face a persistent shortage of attractive entry-level positions. Major employers such as Samsung favor experienced hires, and many older workers stay in their roles longer. Japan, by contrast, is aging rapidly and urgently needs workers. Its companies still run large graduate recruitment programs that provide structured training for newcomers. Despite average salaries now being slightly higher in South Korea than in Japan, interest is rising. South Korea’s Wanted Lab and Japan’s LAPRAS both launched similar tech-talent placement services this year, joining earlier player Mynavi. Seoul has hosted at least three Japan-focused job fairs in 2026, with companies including Canon Imaging Systems and industrial automation firm Azbil taking part. In June, South Korea’s youth unemployment rate stood at 7.0 percent, while Japan’s overall rate was 2.5 percent. Although most foreign workers in Japan hold blue-collar visas, the more than 80,000 Koreans employed there typically fill professional roles in retail, IT, and game development, according to the Korea Labor Institute. Government-backed programs placed 2,257 young Koreans in Japanese jobs last year — a 47 percent jump from 2024 — making Japan the top overseas destination. Placements in the United States fell 29 percent over the same period. Korean talent fills Japanese gaps. Relations between the two countries remain complicated by history, yet practical ties are expanding. Marriages between Korean men and Japanese women rose 26 percent in 2025 from the previous year, doubling the 2020 figure. Marriages between Korean women and Japanese men climbed 29 percent even as the overall international marriage market stayed flat. South Koreans have also set records as Japan’s largest group of inbound tourists this year. “Most people I know who are looking for jobs in Japan already had an interest in living there,” said college student Kim Si-hyeon, one of more than 100 job seekers at the KOREC fair. Like many, she is attracted by the chance of on-the-job training that Korean firms rarely offer fresh graduates. “Korean companies tend to prefer experienced workers, while Japanese companies still recruit new graduates,” said the fourth-year Japanese studies student at Dongguk University, who is targeting IT or AI roles. Lee Chang-min, a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, noted the strong appeal of Korean candidates: “In terms of language and culture, the quality of Korean candidates is overwhelmingly high. There aren’t many foreign applicants who can use Japanese at the level required for actual work.” Tomoya Hattori, head of the Japanese consultancy Energize, said nationality is secondary to ability. At the fair, he highlighted Korean applicants’ competitiveness, speed, and diligence: “If there’s a good candidate, we want to hire that person.” Retention challenges remain; Japanese companies still face hurdles integrating foreign talent. Many Koreans change jobs for better pay or advancement, a practice that clashes with Japan’s traditional lifetime-employment model, Kasugai said. “It’s definitely a stumbling block for Japanese companies. Still, young Japanese people are job-hopping more and more these days, so I think Japanese companies’ understanding will eventually adjust.” Professor Lee added that the risk of departure is especially high when training periods are long, skill application is narrowly defined, and promotion is slow. For Kasugai, who once considered diplomacy and speaks fluent Korean, the work has a broader purpose. “When (Korean) people go there and work, exchanges begin with Japanese colleagues who may never have had a Korean friend or known much about Korean culture,” she said. “That’s something a private company can help create.”