Samsung recruiting foreign tech talent to work at Korean operations

Samsung Electronics' office building in Seoul (Yonhap)

Samsung Group's key technology affiliates -- Samsung Electronics, Samsung Display and Samsung SDI -- will hire experienced workers with research and development capabilities from outside the country, according to industry sources on Monday.

South Korea's largest conglomerate has been carrying out recruiting activities to secure outstanding R&D talent from around the world. It newly introduced the foreign experienced employee recruitment process this year for foreign skilled workers who wish to work on the group’s home turf.

The foreign workers recruited will perform the same duties as domestic employees at the local business sites of each Samsung tech affiliate.

Foreigners who are expected to graduate from university in February next year or who have already received a university degree are eligible to apply for positions. The study period that master's or doctoral degree holders have spent will be regarded as the equivalent of actual work experience.

Those who can apply for a visa and work in Korea, and have obtained level 3 or higher on the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), a Korean language exam for nonnative speakers of Korean, are also qualified for the position.

Applicants can submit their applications via Samsung’s recruitment website until Sept. 8. Samsung plans to select finalists through a document screening in September, interviews in October and health checkups in November.

“This is not to deprive domestic workers of job opportunities. It is expected to breathe life into the reality for foreign students who have come to study in Korea and want to stay here, but with no suitable job opportunities,” said an anonymous source familiar with the matter.

Samsung Electronics and other Samsung affiliates are also hiring experienced domestic employees for R&D positions.

The group is also planning to conduct a regular recruitment process for new employees starting early next month. Samsung is the only conglomerate among the four major groups here that maintain a regular recruitment system for new workers, while others open hiring when they need to fill job vacancies.