[Exclusive] Seoul National University Students Flock to US Big Tech: "Entry-Level Salary 700 Million Won, Skipping Korean Conglomerates" ①

AI Talent Drawn to Big Tech
Seoul National University Department of Computer Science and Engineering
First Overseas Big Tech Career Seminar
Over 200 Undergraduates Crowd the Event
AI Talent Skipping Domestic Firms for Direct Entry to US
Clear Preference for US Big Tech Companies
Salary and Research Environment Are Key Factors
Annual Salaries at Least 5 to 6 Times Higher

"At US big tech companies, even entry-level employees can earn an annual salary of 600 million to 700 million won. Given the significant technological gap, I want to join a company where I can develop my skills."

A recent US Big Tech Career Seminar, held for undergraduate students at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Seoul National University, has become a hot topic. The event was organized for students who wish to work at US big tech companies after graduation, and it was the first time Seoul National University has held a career seminar specifically targeting overseas big tech firms. Over 200 undergraduate students attended, which reportedly surprised the organizers. Typically, aside from large-scale recruitment sessions held during the open recruitment season at major corporations such as Samsung Electronics, LG, and SK, specific career seminars in particular fields attract at most 60 to 70 participants. During the nearly two-hour event, doctoral candidates who had secured positions at Apple and Meta, as well as postdoctoral researchers, participated as speakers, leading to a lively Q&A session with the students.

This career seminar drew attention because it clearly demonstrated that top AI talent at the nation's leading university prefer US big tech companies over domestic firms. As the global competition for talent intensifies amid the AI boom, concerns are rising that the rapid increase in job seekers heading straight to US big tech companies will further accelerate the shortage of AI talent in South Korea.

"I want to build my career by experiencing cutting-edge technology"

Students are attentively listening at the US Big Tech Career Seminar held at Seoul National University.

The students' main interests were salary and research environment. Park Yeonhong, a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering who participated as a speaker, said, "Korean companies have fixed and uniform starting salaries, but US big tech companies offer differentiated salaries based on performance, and there is a significant difference in pay and treatment compared to domestic firms." Park is set to join Meta AI Research in the US as a researcher in August. In an interview with Asia Economy after the event, Park explained the motivation for pursuing employment, saying, "The desire to experience leading-edge technology and build a career in the mainstream of AI, where the research environment is well supported, was a major factor in my decision to work in the US."

It has been reported that Apple and Meta offered annual salaries of 600 million to 700 million won (including stock options) to Seoul National University graduates. This is at least five to six times higher than what is offered by leading Korean tech companies such as Naver. Kim Janghyun, a doctoral candidate at Seoul National University who is set to join Apple, also said, "I was attracted to the corporate culture where even entry-level employees are recognized for their abilities based on performance, not seniority."

The preference for big tech companies marks a clear departure from previous employment patterns in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Seoul National University, where joining major domestic firms such as Samsung and LG was the norm. According to Seoul National University, the number of graduates securing jobs at US big tech companies has been increasing over the past five years. A representative from the department said, "Out of 20 to 30 doctoral graduates each year, at least two to three go directly to US big tech companies such as Google, Meta, Microsoft (MS), and Apple. The trend of MZ generation (Millennials and Generation Z), who have become familiar with generative AI like OpenAI's ChatGPT, choosing global big tech over Korean companies is intensifying."

Lee Jaehui, a professor at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Seoul National University, said, "Although this was the first internal employment event targeting US big tech companies, it was impressive to see a huge crowd of students showing great interest and asking endless questions. In the past, only a small number of doctoral graduates aimed for such positions, but now master's and doctoral students, as well as undergraduates, are preparing for opportunities to work at US big tech companies when they arise. This is a significant change."