The number of Japanese people seeking jobs in South Korea is rising, reflecting a shift in employment trends between the two countries. A decade ago, while Koreans sought job opportunities in Japan, it was rare for Japanese workers to come to Korea for employment. In October 2014, only one Japanese national held a work visa for job searches, working holidays, or professional employment in Korea, according to the Ministry of Justice’s visa statistics. By October 2024, the figure had climbed to 2,096.
“Many young Japanese people who grew up watching Korean dramas and listening to K-pop learned Korean during their childhood ‚” said an official from the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Seoul office. “Now, as they reach working age, it feels natural for them to consider working in Korea.”
Korea’s rising wage levels over the past decade and the weakened yen have also made working in Korea financially appealing for many Japanese job seekers.
Koshiro Nagai, 34, a business development manager at the Korean AI startup MakinaRocks, graduated from Waseda University and worked as a consultant in Japan before relocating to Korea five years ago.
“A few years ago, if someone said they were going to work in Korea, people would ask, ‘Why?’ But that has changed,” he said. “Especially in the tech sector, Korea has an edge over Japan in terms of technology and research & development investment.”
Wages, once a deterrent, are no longer a barrier for Japanese workers considering seeking jobs in Korea. The average monthly wage for Korean employees reached 3.99 million won ($2800) in 2022, surpassing Japan’s average of 3.79 million won for the first time, according to the Korea Enterprises Federation. This marks a significant reversal from 2002 when average Korean wages (1.79 million won) were less than half of Japan’s (3.85 million won).
However, the path to employment in Korea isn’t without obstacles. Korea’s visa system remains a significant hurdle for Japanese job seekers. The “Foreign National of Special Ability (E7),” a popular visa for foreign workers at Korean companies, requires applicants to have a degree or work experience directly related to the job, a measure designed to protect employment for Korean nationals.
“Many Japanese come to Korea on a working holiday visa, work part-time, and then try to transition to a full-time job,” said Daisei Konagawa, 25, a sales representative at a Korean cosmetics firm. “But many of my friends gave up and returned to Japan because their degrees didn’t match the job requirements. Compared to Japan’s foreigner work visa system, Korea’s requirements are much stricter.”
Some Japanese students have switched degrees or changed academic paths to meet Korea’s visa criteria. Haruka Takamitsu, 24, who majored in Korean history at Meiji University, enrolled for a master’s degree in apparel at Seoul National University to land a job at a leading Korean fashion company like Musinsa.
Meanwhile, Japan has been easing its visa requirements for foreign workers to attract global talent.
