Home > National > K-campus

Established firms, start-ups court international students at career fair

Published: 25 Mar. 2026, 19:21

YOON SEUNG-JIN
[email protected]

International students and representatives from companies, universities and related organizations engage in discussions at the seventh International Student Futures career fair on March 25.[YOON SEUNG-JIN]

Sejong University hosted the International Student Futures (ISF) career fair and forum on Wednesday, bringing together international students, companies and foreign entrepreneurs to engage in job fair sessions and recruitment discussions.

At the seventh ISF event, held at the university’s campus in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, AI-based startups such as Mednaath and Konnect joined companies including Jeonbuk Bank and Housebuddy to showcase their recruitment plans, promote their services and offer guidance tailored to international students.

“I’m here not only to discuss the landscape of startups led by international CEOs in Korea, but also to identify potential employees who could be a strong fit for our company,” said Nitish Kumar, CEO of Mednaath, an AI-based simultaneous translation service.

Representatives from Jeonbuk Bank, which now employs over 100 foreign customer service staff, said their continued participation reflects the growing need for multilingual support in financial services, as well as an opportunity to highlight the bank’s expanding global services.

“Jeonbuk Bank employs staff from around the world to assist expatriates with banking services,” said Cernero Rica, a foreign employee at the bank. “With the increasing number of expats in Korea, many still face difficulties completing basic tasks such as opening a bank account.”

Bank officials added that their consistent participation in the event is aimed at directly engaging with international students, who represent both a key customer base and a valuable pool of potential recruits.

The second half of the event featured a startup forum session, where expatriate founders shared insights on hiring international talent. Panelists emphasized that international startups in Korea are actively seeking foreign employees to maintain diversity and strengthen global competitiveness.

“Our company currently employs many foreign employees to preserve diversity, as they bring different perspectives shaped by their cultural backgrounds,” said Dwivedi Shivanshu, founder of Pikai, a company developing edge AI technology to detect structural risks in infrastructure.

“As long as individuals understand their roles and perform well, there is no reason they would fall behind Korean candidates. It is important to retain cultural diversity while excelling in one’s work.”

Launched in 2023, the ISF career exchange and forum is held twice a year, combining career fairs with themed discussion sessions.

The previous fall edition focused on education, with experts discussing strategies to attract international students and the need to standardize university support systems.

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [[email protected]]