Last year, 2,257 young South Koreans accepted jobs in Japan, a 47% increase from 2024, making Japan their top work destination. This trend reflects a chronic shortage of desirable entry-level jobs in South Korea, where major employers like Samsung prefer experienced workers and many older employees remain in their positions.

Japanese entrepreneur Moe Kasugai, who studied at Seoul’s Yonsei University, observed that many bright South Korean graduates struggled to find employment despite their qualifications and Japanese language skills. In response, she launched KOREC in 2019, a service connecting South Korean jobseekers with Japanese employers. Kasugai remarked at a recent job fair in Seoul, “I was surprised that they couldn’t find a job because they were so smart. Many could speak Japanese, so I thought it might be better for them to go to Japan.”

Meanwhile, Japan faces its own labor challenges with an aging population and difficulty filling positions in large graduate schemes designed for career starters. Reflecting growing demand, South Korea’s Wanted Lab and Japan’s LAPRAS, both specializing in tech talent placement, introduced services this year similar to KOREC, joining early mover Mynavi.

Despite average salaries being slightly higher in South Korea, the opportunity gap has driven more graduates to seek employment in Japan.

Sources