December 22, 2024

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Shim Hwa-yong, CEO of HireDiversity, a Korean startup dedicated to supporting foreign job seekers in navigating the local job market, delivers a keynote speech during D.Camp’s networking event aimed at connecting international students with internship opportunities at South Korean startups. (D.camp)

D.Camp, one of South Korea’s largest startup incubators, held a networking event on Friday to connect international students with internship positions at local startups.

The event, hosted at D.Camp’s Front1 facility in Seoul’s Mapo-gu district, brought together representatives from 13 startups and dozens of international students who had applied to these companies in hopes of securing an internship over the winter break.

The event is part of a new initiative launched by D.Camp this year to address the growing need for junior talent in the Korean startup ecosystem. The program, which aims to create a steady pipeline of interns both locally and internationally, is set to run four times a year, with slots for foreign interns during the summer and winter vacations and opportunities for Korean students during the first half of the year.

In partnership with K-Campus, an online platform designed to support international students in Korea, D.Camp opened internship positions at 20 startups exclusively for foreign students. Although only 13 of these companies were able to attend in person, each gave a presentation to introduce their work and explain what they are looking for in a candidate. This event was specifically organized for students who had already applied to these positions in the last two months and were interested in learning more about the companies in person before finalizing their commitment.

The session began with a keynote from Shim Hwa-yong, CEO of HireDiversity, a Korean startup focused on helping foreign job seekers find opportunities in Korea.

“There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and even accurate information can be outdated quickly,” Shim said. “Don’t just rely on online forums -- make sure you’re getting accurate advice from people who understand the system,” he advised.

Shim also highlighted recent efforts by the Korean government to make it easier for foreign graduates to work in Korea, including a new policy that allows international students to stay and work in the country for three years after graduation. “This is a big step forward,” Shim said, adding that the government has also expanded the E-7-4 visa program for skilled foreign workers, increasing the number of available slots by more than 15-fold.

Among the startups presenting at the event were companies from a range of industries, each seeking interns to help with specific business functions. Kn-Us, a company specializing in security devices to prevent eavesdropping, said it was looking for a global marketing and sales assistant. “We’re hoping to find someone who can navigate both Korean and English-speaking markets and help us expand our international footprint,” said a Kn-Us representative. NineWatt, a startup focused on building energy-saving solutions, is seeking a business development intern to support its ongoing projects in Japan. “We’re looking for someone who understands both cultures and can help bridge the gap as we expand,” said NineWatt researcher Kim Rang. 

Playtag's COO, Cho Woo-sung, outlined the company's international expansion plans and the need for interns to support global market research efforts. (D.Camp)

Playtag, which develops AI-based behavior analysis tools for early childhood education, also shared its plans for international growth and the role interns could play in it. With an existing customer base in Korea and early trials set to launch in the US and Southeast Asia next year, Playtag is searching for a market research intern to assist with analyzing global market trends. “This internship isn’t just about research -- it’s about helping shape our strategy as we go international,” said Playtag's chief operating officer Cho Woo-sung.

Throughout the event, students had the opportunity to ask questions directly to startup representatives.

One student asked the Playtag official if the company was open to hiring interns with engineering backgrounds, given the company’s technical focus on AI and behavior analytics. “We’re primarily looking for research interns, but we’re open to engineering roles if the right candidate comes along,” the COO said.

By Moon Joon-hyun (mjh@heraldcorp.com)