Korean Men Seek Japan for Jobs and Relationships

People walk through Ginza’s shopping district in Tokyo, Japan, on Dec. 15. [EPA/YONHAP]

More Korean men are choosing to move to Japan not only for employment opportunities but also for long-term residency. This shift is driven by challenging hiring conditions and extended working hours in South Korea, as well as personal relationships with Japanese partners.

According to a report from a Japanese media outlet, the number of Koreans seeking long-term residence in Japan has been steadily increasing. The data, sourced from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, indicates that the number of Koreans working in Japan rose from approximately 69,000 in 2020 to around 75,000 in 2024—a growth of about 8 percent over four years.

The report highlights that the competitive job market in South Korea is a significant factor behind this trend, especially among young men. One Korean man in his mid-30s, who has been working in Japan since 2019, shared his experience. He majored in hotel management at a university in Korea but faced difficulties finding work after graduation.

“I applied to 10 luxury hotels in Seoul but received an offer from only one,” he said. “Many required a Toeic score of at least 850, and I even heard that some places preferred men who were at least 180 centimeters tall.”

He eventually found a job in Korea but left for Japan due to long working hours and low pay. Now, he works in the real estate sector in Japan.

Foreign tourists walk through the Nakamise Street at Asakusa, downtown in Tokyo, Japan, on Sept. 7, 2022. [EPA/YONHAP]

He described the differences in workplace norms between the two countries.

“The pay is similar, but companies in Japan respect private life and rarely contact employees after work or on holidays,” he said. “After getting used to this lifestyle, I think it would be difficult to work for a Korean company again.”

Another young Korean adult working at a Japanese company shared a similar perspective.

“In Korea, people even joke, saying, ‘Sorry for majoring in the liberal arts,’ because finding a job has become extremely difficult,” they said. “Large companies dominate hiring, and high entry barriers push more young people to look overseas.”

The report also noted a growing preference among Korean men to marry Japanese women. Data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics shows that international marriages between Korean men and Japanese women reached 1,176 couples in 2024—an increase of 40 percent from 2023 and the highest level since 2015.

“About half of Koreans seeking jobs in Japan cite having a Japanese partner as a reason for their move,” the second interviewee said. They added that more couples meet through language exchange applications and that many Korean men are drawn to Japanese women’s strong sense of financial self-reliance.

The first interviewee also married a Japanese woman he met through a language exchange app.

Experts pointed to differences in social expectations between the two countries.

“Korean society places heavy housing and financial burdens on men, while marriage conditions in Japan remain relatively flexible,” they said.

The report also highlighted that the presence of Korean young people is growing in Japanese society, where how to live alongside foreign residents has become a key social issue.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.