COVER STORY Korean companies offer job opportunities to USFK veterans

As Korean companies expand their footprint across the United States, securing qualified local workers has emerged as one of their biggest challenges. In an effort to help resolve this problem, a new recruitment platform is looking to a promising pool of candidates: former U.S. service members who have spent time in Korea.

The USFK Job Platform, run by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in partnership with the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation, connects Korean companies operating in the U.S. with former and soon-to-retire U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) personnel.

Seoul Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vice Chairman Lee Hyung-hee, who led the initiative, said the idea grew out of a practical problem facing Korean businesses investing in the U.S.

“In recent years, the number of Korean companies expanding into the U.S. has increased significantly and demand for local workers has risen rapidly, particularly in advanced industries such as semiconductors and batteries,” Lee told The Korea Times. “But one of the biggest difficulties these companies face is securing local workers.”

That prompted KCCI to look toward U.S. service members who had served in Korea — a group that could offer Korean employers both professional skills and firsthand familiarity with Korean culture and workplace practices.

“They understand Korean culture and the business environment through their time serving in Korea, and their military careers have equipped them with responsibility, leadership and teamwork,” said Lee, who is also a vice chairman of SK Group.

“We saw a clear potential to connect the workforce needs of Korean companies in the U.S. with new career opportunities for service members leaving the military.”

KCCI signed an agreement with the foundation in September last year to support USFK personnel transitioning to civilian careers. The online platform was completed in November and officially launched in March.

Since then, KCCI has promoted it at major U.S. military installations around Korea, including those in Pyeongtaek and Dongducheon, while expanding the pool of participating companies.

The platform allows Korean companies operating in the U.S. to post job openings, while eligible veterans and soon-to-retire personnel can browse positions, submit resumes and apply directly. Interviews and hiring are then handled by individual companies.

The program now has 29 participating Korean companies, including Samsung C&T, SK ecoplant, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, HS Hyosung, Hankook Tire, HL Mando, LIG D&A and Noroo Paint. There are currently nearly 400 job openings listed.

The platform has also produced successful hires. The first was Gene Richards, a U.S. Army veteran who served multiple tours in Korea and now works as an external relations coordinator for SK ecoplant in West Lafayette, Indiana.

“More than 140 former U.S. service members have registered with the platform and are regularly checking job postings,” a KCCI official said, noting that a second person also found a job through the platform recently. “We wouldn’t say inquiries are coming in every day, but we believe more hires will follow as awareness of the platform grows.”

The USFK declined to comment on the job program, saying it is tailored to people who have already left military service.

KCCI plans to bring more companies and positions onto the platform while increasing outreach to U.S. veterans.

Lee sees the initiative as more than a recruitment service. Korean companies gain employees who understand Korea and bring skills developed through military service, while veterans gain an avenue to channel their military experience into civilian careers.

“It showed that the platform can go beyond simply providing job information and actually connect companies and former service members through employment ... This is about expanding the Korea-U.S. alliance, which has developed primarily around security, into employment, industry and people-to-people exchanges,” Lee said.

“Ultimately, we hope this platform will become a practical, private sector-led model of cooperation that allows businesses and the public to see the tangible value of the alliance.”