KOTRA holds talent recruitment roadshow in France with Samsung, HD Korea Shipbuilding

KOTRA held an overseas talent recruitment event in France, seeking to attract researchers in key industries including semiconductors, defense and AI.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA, together with the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity, hosted an "overseas talent recruitment roadshow" in Toulouse, France, on Tuesday (local time).

The event was organized in conjunction with the 2026 EuroKorean Conference (EKC), the largest academic conference for Korean scientists and engineers in Europe. A total of 28 institutions participated, including six South Korean companies — among them Samsung Electronics, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, POSCO Holdings' Future Technology Research Institute and LIG Defence & Aerospace — along with 14 government-funded research institutes, including the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, and three universities, including Pohang University of Science and Technology. About 100 European researchers and Korean scientists attended on site.

Participating institutions conducted recruitment consultations and career counseling sessions. A town hall meeting was also held to explain South Korea's overseas talent attraction policies and introduce the country's employment environment.

A postdoctoral researcher in aerospace who attended the event said it was a valuable opportunity. "I have been weighing when to return to Korea as I watch the country's advanced industries develop, even while continuing my research abroad," the researcher said. "Being able to discuss specific research areas and career paths directly with HR heads from Korea's leading technology companies was very helpful."

KOTRA also introduced the K-Tech Pass program, which supports the settlement of outstanding overseas talent in South Korea. The program offers benefits — including a special F-2 visa and income tax reductions — to overseas professionals in eight advanced industries: semiconductors, displays, secondary batteries, biotech, robotics, defense, AI and advanced mobility.

Kang Sang-yeop, KOTRA executive vice president and head of the SME and mid-sized enterprise division, said securing talent with expertise in core technologies such as aerospace and advanced materials is becoming essential to maintaining an unrivaled industrial edge amid intensifying global competition for technological supremacy. "We will expand support to connect the specific talent needs of companies requiring advanced expertise with programs like K-Tech Pass, so that outstanding overseas talent can realize their potential in Korea," he said.