A survey by the Tokyo Branch of the Korea International Trade Association found that nearly half of Japanese university students and job seekers want to work for Korean companies. It also found strong concerns about insufficient information on companies and fierce competition.
According to the 2026 Employment Attitudes Survey of Japanese University Students and Job Seekers, announced by the Tokyo Branch of the Korea International Trade Association, 50.8% of respondents wanted to work for Korean companies operating in Japan. The figure comprised 19.5% who were "very interested" and 31.3% who were "somewhat interested," indicating strong interest in employment with Korean companies.
Meanwhile, 46.1% said they wanted to work in South Korea in the future, rather than only for Korean companies in Japan, while 23.3% said they did not, a difference of approximately two to one. The figures included 19.5% who were very interested and 26.6% who were somewhat interested.
There was a significant gap between interest in working for Korean companies and respondents' understanding of information about them. Although 56.2% said they had "heard of" Korean companies, the percentage who actually understood information about them was low. A total of 7.7% said they knew them well and 31.3% knew them to some extent, for a combined 39.1%.
Among preferred employment fields, interest in Korean culture was high. The most important factor was the nature of the work: in a multiple-response question, 73.1% cited "job duties," 72.1% cited "pay and employment conditions," and 62.3% cited holidays and leave. Respondents called for more specific recruitment information and detailed explanations of employment conditions.