Hiring IT talent in Korea: realistic job ads and pay that matches skills

Many companies in Korea say they cannot find IT staff, especially in data and AI, while many job seekers cannot find work. This guide is for foreign founders, managers and HR staff hiring tech talent in Korea. It explains the causes the author sees behind this mismatch and the rules that apply to job ads, with data as of 2025~2026.

Why companies say no one is available

A recruiter with long experience placing data specialists describes a hidden premise behind many complaints: the wish to hire excellent people at a low cost. Companies offer below-market pay, still ask for top-level skills, and then conclude that there is no one to hire. The gap is widest at startups and smaller companies that want large-company talent but cannot match large-company pay.

Official data point the same way. In a Bank of Korea (한국은행) survey of 400 companies, published in December 2025, most firms planned to hire more AI staff, but workers' high pay expectations were the top hiring difficulty for small and medium-sized companies and the second for large ones. The Bank counted about 57,000 AI specialists in Korea in 2024, more than double the 27,800 of 2010, yet companies still say they cannot find people.

Not every company can pay top salaries. The author's point is narrower: pay should match the level of skill you ask for.

Job descriptions nobody can meet

As cloud services spread and tech stacks grew, many job ads began to ask one person to do the work of several. An ad for a junior developer may list front-end and back-end development, database management, cloud infrastructure and even data analysis. HR advisers reviewing such ads often ask whether anyone with all these skills exists. If such a person did, they would probably have founded a startup or joined a company with better terms.

Unrealistic requirements also scare away capable applicants with potential. The company keeps searching for a superhero, and applicants feel they are not good enough.

The problem shows up in data. At a Bank of Korea seminar in December 2025, the job platform Remember (리멤버) reported that companies often lacked a clear definition of AI roles (about 30%) and that in more than half of cases the job ad did not match the actual work.

How technology changed the roles

In the author's view, cloud computing, AI and big data have raised demand for IT talent over the past several years faster than supply. Companies responded by asking each hire to cover more, and roles once split between developers, operators and analysts were merged under labels such as full-stack engineer. Technology has made work more efficient, but the author argues that one person doing everything is close to a fantasy, and that a specialist in one field often creates more value than a generalist who knows a little of everything.

Hiring managers and HR need to talk

Hiring managers tend to list their ideal candidate, and HR copies the list into the ad. Ads often list every task the current employee performs, but that employee did not start with all of those skills; they learned on the job. Some companies even ask one new hire to take over work that several people shared after someone left. It saves money on paper but usually ends in a failed search and a bigger loss.

What the law says about job ads

The Fair Hiring Procedure Act (채용절차의 공정화에 관한 법률) applies to hiring at businesses with 30 or more regular employees, except when the state or local governments hire public servants (Article 3).

In practice, the pay and conditions in your ad are commitments. Write an ad you can stand behind.

The job seeker's side

The author does not blame companies alone. Some candidates overrate their skills or ask for high pay without enough preparation, especially since high IT salaries became widely known. A short bootcamp or online course helps, but it cannot replace in-depth knowledge and work experience. These expectations are partly shaped by the market itself: when companies post inflated requirements, candidates read the market in a distorted way too.

A healthier hiring process

For companies, the author suggests:

1. Write realistic job descriptions. Separate must-have skills from preferred ones and focus on the core tasks of the role.
2. Offer pay at market level. If the budget is tight, offer other rewards, such as stock options, flexible working or support for training.
3. Hire for potential as well as ready-made talent, and invest in training. It costs more at first but builds loyal core staff.
4. Let HR and hiring managers plan together. Decide what the organization needs for long-term growth instead of simply filling an empty seat.

For job seekers: assess your skills honestly, keep learning, and build depth in one field rather than trying to learn everything at once.

The author's conclusion: do not look for someone cheap and good; look for someone who can grow with your organization.

Checklist

• Split requirements into must-have and nice-to-have.
• Compare your pay offer with the market for the same role and level.
• Check that the pay and conditions in the ad match the contract you will offer.
• Remove questions about looks, birthplace, marital status, property and family details.
• Agree the role with the hiring manager before posting.
• Plan onboarding and training for a candidate with potential.