Global Talent Fair gives international jobseekers unique chance to connect face-to-face with employers

International job seekers visit the 2026 Global Talent Fair at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on June 1. [NEWS1]

 

From technology and finance to consumer goods, international talent seeking employment in Korea had a unique opportunity on Monday to explore career options and speak directly with recruiters at the Global Talent Fair.

 

The Job Fair for International Students, a major track within the 2026 Global Talent Fair hosted by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (Kotra), kicked off its two-day annual run at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. Around 100 companies participated in the event this year, with Kotra expecting at least 2,500 international job seekers to attend through Tuesday.

 


 

“I’m planning to get consultations on my resume and learn how to increase my chances as a foreigner of being recruited by these companies,” Lydia Laryea, a senior majoring in business and accounting at Kangwon National University, told the Korea JoongAng Daily as she arrived at the venue.

 

Laryea, a Ghanaian national who came to Korea under the Global Korea Scholarship program, said working in the country became a top priority after she became fascinated by Korean conglomerates like Samsung.

 

“I was very curious about how Korea built its businesses, so I decided to come here to study,” she added.

 

The exhibition hall was packed with students and recent graduates like Laryea, all eager to learn about different corporate environments and secure face time with hiring managers.

 

Major firms, including Dongwon Group and Hankook Tire & Technology, saw their schedules fully booked with one-on-one consultations throughout the day.

 

Cosmetics giant Amorepacific, which is currently scouting for talent in global sales and marketing, also ran a booth and a dedicated recruitment session on Monday.

 

International job seekers visit the 2026 Global Talent Fair at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on June 1. [NEWS1]

 

“We usually post job openings for foreign fresh graduates once or twice a year,” an Amorepacific hiring manager said, noting that the company currently employs around 100 foreign nationals, including those at overseas branches. “Sales and marketing are the primary positions open to international talent.”

 

Blue Bottle Coffee Korea, which joined the fair to recruit baristas, also saw its interview slots completely filled. For many recruiters at the venue, Korean language proficiency emerged as the ultimate prerequisite.

 

“Korean language skills are vital because our baristas must interact directly with customers in Korean,” Park Ji-min, a hiring manager at Blue Bottle said, adding that roughly 80 percent of the applicants who visited their booth spoke fluent Korean.

 

According to the manager, prospective baristas do not need prior certifications since the company provides internal training. Visitors to the booth focused their questions on store placement, visa sponsorship and required skill sets.

 

“We already have baristas from countries like Japan and China,” the manager said. “Our goal is to hire more international employees to bring diverse perspectives and experiences to our teams.”

 

Semiconductor packaging and testing company Hana Micron also targeted international students specifically because of their existing familiarity with local culture and language.

 

“Korean corporate culture can be quite conservative,” Park Jun-hyun, hiring manager at Hana Micron said. “We are looking for candidates who understand this culture so they can integrate smoothly into the team.”

 

The company, currently seeking engineers, launched a program three years ago to recruit foreign talent within Korea, train them domestically and eventually dispatch them to its branch in Vietnam.

 

For the job seekers, the fair provided clear insight into what Korean employers prioritize.

 

“Many of them were looking for fluent Korean speakers,” said Valeria Medivil Gomez Llanos, a job-seeker from Mexico who recently completed a two-year Korean language program. She noted that the language barrier remains the steepest hurdle when job hunting in Korea.

 

Nevertheless, Llanos valued the practical feedback she received on her credentials. 

 

International job seekers consult recruiters at the 2026 Global Talent Fair at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on June 1. [NEWS1]

 

“One recruiter helped me critique my resume and gave me advice on what information to prioritize,” she said. “I plan to edit my resume to better fit a traditional Korean format.”

 

K-campus, a platform for international students run by the Korea JoongAng Daily, participated in the fair to promote its services, which include job postings from companies seeking foreign talent as well as curated content on careers and employment opportunities in Korea. About 400 international job seekers visited the booth on Monday to learn more about the platform and take part in lucky draw events.   

 

Alongside the corporate booths, the fair hosted a series of career talks and seminars. 

 

Monday’s sessions covered employment market trends for expats, interview tips for international students and corporate information sessions. Tuesday’s lineup will pivot to navigating Korean corporate culture and understanding specific visa pathways. 

 

One-on-one resume formatting and professional image consulting sessions ran continuously throughout the event.   

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]