Seoul's 10-million-person metro concentrates South Korea's tech, finance, and manufacturing talent. The city dominates hiring across semiconductor design, software development, consumer electronics, and financial services—with Samsung, LG, Hyundai, and KB Financial anchoring demand. Talent flows inbound from provincial cities and outbound to Singapore and the US, creating tight competition for mid-to-senior engineers and product managers. Cost of living is high relative to the Korean average, and salary expectations reflect it. Time-to-hire averages 35–50 days for technical roles, longer for leadership. Remote work norms are shifting but remain limited outside tech and startups; most roles expect at least three days onsite in Gangnam, Yeouido, or Mapo districts. Raffi works as an agentic AI recruiter by screening applicants against your role spec the moment they apply. You post to Korean job boards—Saramin, Jumpit, Rocketpunch—and Raffi intercepts candidates, runs initial qualification interviews, and surfaces only interview-ready profiles to your team. This cuts time spent on unqualified applications and lets you focus on hiring decisions, not screening logistics. For Seoul teams hiring across English-language roles, local hires, and expat-track positions, that efficiency matters: your applicant pool is large, but signal-to-noise is high. If you're hiring engineers, product managers, or finance professionals in Seoul, Raffi reduces cycle time and consolidates your screening process. Start by connecting your Workable ATS and Google Calendar, then activate Raffi on your next open role.
<60 sec
Application to first contact
10-15 min
Per applicant interview
$0
Hire fees, ever
Raffi calls every applicant for a 10-15 min structured interview. Not just the top 5 résumés — every one. Result: nobody good slips through.
Conversational AI interview, rubric-anchored scoring, transcripts you can read. You get a top 3-5 shortlist while competitors are still scheduling first-rounds.
SaaS pricing from $199/mo. No 15-25% of first-year salary, no per-hire kickback. Cancel anytime.
Seoul's 2026 hiring market remains tight for senior engineers (8+ years), product managers, and data scientists. Semiconductor and AI-focused roles are heating up as Samsung and SK Hynix accelerate R&D spend. Finance and insurtech hiring is steady; retail and hospitality remain cost-constrained. Time-to-hire for specialist roles has stretched to 50+ days due to candidate selectivity and competing offers from startups and chaebols. Supply of junior developers (0–3 years) is adequate but fragmented across academies and university placement; mid-level talent (3–8 years) remains scarce and command-premium compensation. Expat hiring for English-language roles and cross-border teams continues growing, especially in tech and professional services. Remote-first roles attract talent from Busan and Incheon, expanding your effective candidate pool.
Seoul hiring demands fluency in Korean language norms—many technical and leadership candidates expect Korean-language interviews, even if they speak English. Commute and onsite expectations are non-negotiable outside pure remote roles; candidates in Gangnam, Songpa, and Mapo expect sub-30-minute commutes. Salary expectations are 20–30% higher than provincial South Korea; junior engineers expect ₩45–55M, mid-level ₩70–100M, and seniors ₩120M+. The top sectors—semiconductors, software, financial services, automotive—move quickly and compete aggressively for talent. Many candidates are passive but will respond if you reach them through trusted channels (Jumpit, Rocketpunch, university networks). Equity is less of a draw than base salary and bonus; chaebols and large firms remain talent magnets due to brand and stability.
Yes. Raffi operates in 30+ languages and supports candidate calls in any timezone via self-booking — there's no per-city integration. If you can post a role from Seoul, you can run Raffi from Seoul.
Raffi is calibrated against the major AI-in-hiring frameworks (EU AI Act + NYC Local Law 144) and discloses AI use to every candidate before the call. For Seoul-specific work permits and right-to-work checks, those happen outside Raffi — we screen, you verify eligibility before extending an offer.
Saramin, Jumpit, and Rocketpunch are the dominant platforms where active candidates apply. Jumpit and Rocketpunch skew toward startups and tech; Saramin covers a broader range. LinkedIn is secondary but growing. Most Seoul-based talent checks these weekly.
Junior developers: ₩45–55M. Mid-level (3–8 years): ₩70–100M. Senior engineers and managers: ₩120M–180M+. These exclude bonuses and benefits. Expect candidates to negotiate; Seoul's cost of living (housing, transport, education) justifies the premium.
Default to Korean for technical interviews unless the role is explicitly English-language or the candidate requests it. Many Seoul candidates are bilingual but prefer their native language for nuanced technical discussion. Signal language flexibility early in the job posting.
Agentic recruiting is recruiting done by an AI agent that takes action on your behalf — not a chatbot or résumé summarizer. Raffi calls every applicant for a structured 10-15 minute interview, scores them against your rubric, and hands you a ranked top 3-5. The work happens autonomously.
Most agencies charge 15-25% of first-year salary as a placement fee — a $90k hire runs $13-22k. Raffi is SaaS at $199-599/mo plus per-action credits, typically landing under $10k/year for a team hiring 12 people. Same shortlist quality, no placement contract.
About 25 minutes to onboard, post your first role, and have Raffi ready to interview applicants. No engineering work, no integration project. Connect your work email, paste a JD, you're live.
Free $25 starter credit. No credit card. Screening live by tonight.