Overview
- Government-backed programmes placed 2,257 young South Koreans in jobs in Japan in 2025, a 47% jump from 2024, making Japan the top overseas destination for Korean workers.
- Recruiters and start-ups such as KOREC, Wanted Lab, LAPRAS and Mynavi have expanded services and Seoul hosted multiple Japan-focused job fairs in 2026 to link graduates with Japanese employers.
- Labor-market gaps help explain the flow: South Korea’s youth unemployment is high and many large Korean firms prefer experienced hires, while Japanese companies maintain formal new-graduate recruitment and training.
- Japanese employers value Korean candidates for language skill and technical ability but report retention problems because many hires switch jobs for faster advancement and higher pay.
- The trend is strengthening people-to-people ties through more work-based exchange and could push Japanese firms to adapt retention strategies and Korean job markets to rethink early-career pathways.