Interested in building a career in South Korea? Gaining real-life experience in the country is an ideal way to observe and learn the Korean workplace, and completing internships and working in Korea is a great way to get these insights. Through these internship opportunities, you can explore new career paths, develop new technical and career skills, and build your professional network.
Check out the list below to explore virtual internship options or start planning your next in-country internship, post-pandemic.
Internship Placements in South Korea
- People and Job (피플앤잡): One of the main employment websites for foreigners is ‘People and Job’. This website shows a various range of recruitment, including new recruits, careers, and head-hunters.
- Superookie (슈퍼루키): Superookie provides recruitment announcements of a variety of Startup companies to big companies. This website also offers coaching videos in areas such as – ‘how to write a resume’, ‘how to prepare for interviews in South Korea’, and ‘business skills you must know’.
- Learn4good: Through Learn4good, users can either apply for jobs in South Korea or post jobs for free as an employer. Users can also get information on different aspects of Korean careers.
- Xpatjobs: Xpatjobs is a globally known site that provides job opportunities for expats. It regularly updates the current available vacancies in South Korea.
- Just landed: Just landed provides useful information about salaries, contracts, and working conditions of companies in South Korea. This website also includes advice on community, housing, telephone & internet, education, business, travel, moving, and culture of South Korea.
- LinkedIn: LinkedIn is one of the most popular job-searching devices all around the world. This app notifies the users of their registered companies’ recruitment information. It is also a platform to build your resume and portfolio, allowing companies to easily access your career history without submitting your resume.
- Glassdoor: Glassdoor contains career information across the country. Users can review the rate of a CEO and individual’s interview experience of a company.
- Indeed: Indeed is a free service to job seekers, including providing recruitment lists, company reviews, and job alert emails. Users can easily upload their resumes on Indeed and directly apply to a company.
Internship Programs to South Korea (program fees required)
- Asia Internship Program (AIP) – South Korea: AIP is a leading social enterprise that provides a platform for young talented professionals to connect with Asia Internship opportunities. Listed opportunities are not limited to South Korea but also include all around Asia. AIP’s internship program package includes customized internship placement, 24/7 emergency help, Visa assistant, CV/Resume Enhancement, Certification from the participant’s host company.
- Meiji Internships: Meiji Internships is an internationally accredited educational consultant that offers social, cultural, and development projects through internship placements. This website also contains short introductions to the Korean lifestyle, famous locations, and food.
- Virtual Internships: Virtual Internship creates opportunities for individuals who are looking to develop their career growth and enhance employability. They provide virtual internships in South Korea as well as all other countries around the world.
- NEXTSTEP: NEXTSTEP is an organisation that aims to advance experiential learning by helping individuals to engage in professional fields. Other than a virtual internship and career mentorship program, NEXTSTEP also provides platforms to study abroad and volunteer abroad.
If you are interested in knowing more about different internship programs, please check out:
Internship roles choices include:
- Architecture
- Art & Fashion
- Business Development
- Consulting
- Engineering
- Entrepreneurship
- Environmental
- Finance
- Graphic design
- Health & Fitness
- Hospitality & Tourism
- Human resources
- Import-export
- Information technology
- Interior Design
- Journalism
- Law
- Manufacturing
- NGO
- PR & Marketing
- Real estate
- Supply chain & Logistics
- Medical
- Video & Photography
- Other
Picking the Internship Location:
Three main internship areas in South Korea include Seoul, Incheon, and Busan. Seoul is one of the most popular placement locations that participants wish to go to. It is the world’s 4th largest metropolitan economy where many globally popular brands are located. Internship in Seoul provides opportunities for major electronic companies such as Samsung, LG, Kia; top beverage companies such as Jinro and Hite; food giants such as Lotte and Nongshim Group.
Incheon is a model commercial port city in South Korea, it is also a major transportation hub in northern Asia. Incheon International Airport and Incheon Port are prime examples, they serve as South Korea’s gateway to connect with the outside world. For applicants who are interested in internships in the field of Supply Chain and Logistics, Incheon is likely to be the best location to begin with.
Lastly, Busan is well known as a cultural city. It has a rich cultural past and offers many traditional and historical architecture, unique cuisine, and film festivals. Many tourists visit Busan to experience and understand the Korean culture. Hence, Busan can provide a great opportunity for internships such as hospitality & tourism, video & photography, and journalism.
What will you be gaining from completing South Korean Internship Placement?
- Personal Growth: The internship placement has two options of remote and in-company. Both experiences aim to build personal growth through the various features of the Korean companies. Applicants will have the chance to develop their professional development and taking a step forward towards their dream career.
- Cultural Immersion: Internship placements and virtual internships are also a great opportunities to immerse oneself in Korean culture and learn to see things from new perspectives. By interning in Korea, applicants will be positioned to see Korea’s nature of work, as well as their social patterns.
- Professional Networking: Lastly, internship applicants often have the advantage of engaging with professionals through the internship company’s exclusive networking events in South Korea, which allows them to open themselves to potential business opportunities.
For more tips about doing internships in Korea, check out the following articles:
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