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By Lee Hyo-jin
Korean companies are struggling to recruit highly-skilled foreign workers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, according to a recent survey released earlier this month.
The survey, which was conducted among 300 local firms by the University of Science and Technology (UST) and the Korea Industrial Technology Association (KOITA), found that many companies were facing difficulties in recruiting foreigners for research positions despite a growing number of foreign nationals earning advanced degrees in Korea.
The survey respondents included six large conglomerates, 198 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and 96 venture startups. Of them, only 73 firms, or 24 percent, said they currently have hired foreigners in research positions, while the other 76 percent said they did not have employees of foreign nationality.
As for the reasons why they chose to recruit foreigners when multiple answers were allowed, the firms replied, to tackle a shortage of local manpower (43 percent), to expand their business overseas (43 percent) and because foreign nationals showed better performance and professional capabilities compared to their Korean counterparts (33 percent).
On the other hand, among the companies that did not hire foreign employees, 43 percent of them cited a lack of information about international students in Korea. Seventeen percent found international staffing unnecessary (17 percent), while some cited concerns over possible difficulties in communication due to a language barrier (15 percent), or complicated administrative procedures (9 percent).
However, 60 percent of these firms replied that they are willing to hire foreign workers in the future, with 61 percent seeking to recruit those with a master's degree and 27 percent saying that they prefer applicants with a doctoral degree.
Regarding the policy support needed from the government when recruiting foreign talent, 32 percent of the companies called for the establishment of a talent pool of potential candidates, while 26 percent said financial support, and another 20 percent wanted work visa requirements to be significantly eased.
"Foreign graduates who have obtained an advanced degree in Korea are highly qualified personnel who are equipped with an understanding of Korean culture as well as professional knowledge in their field. They are valuable resources who will support Korean companies to expand their business overseas," Kim Lee-hwan, president of the UST said in a statement.
The survey results came as Korea continues to suffer from a manpower shortage in its core industrial sectors such as semiconductors, batteries and bio-healthcare, which are widely considered the country's future growth engines.
Currently, there are 86,562 students enrolled in graduate programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields across the country, among whom 8,321 students, accounting for 10 percent of the total, are foreign nationals. Among the 2,767 international students who obtained a doctoral degree here between 2017 and 2019, 58 percent left to other countries rather than pursuing a career in Korea.
