Signal Korea's IMD ranking for attracting highly skilled talent improved from 49th to 38th but remains mid-to-low

Summary

The plan reports that Korea's attractiveness to talented people from abroad has been rising slightly. In the IMD ranking for attracting highly skilled talent, Korea moved from 49th in 2022 to 43rd in 2023 and 38th in 2024. Among the 67 countries surveyed, however, this still places Korea in the lower-middle range. The plan names low pay and treatment, fears of career interruption, a restrictive research environment and concerns about children's education as factors that hold back recruitment. It contrasts this with advanced economies that are announcing national strategies and aggressive programmes to attract global talent.