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[European Startup Chronicles] Meeting Three Korean Developers in Berlin ③

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 09:58:35 +0900

Meeting Three Korean Developers in Berlin ③

Cover photo source = fotolia.com

Finding a job abroad, developers’ work, and their future vision

What is it like to work as a Korean developer in Europe? We met three Korean developers who are active in the fintech sector in Berlin, Germany, to hear their stories. The protagonists are Gwangtaek An, a Senior Data Engineer at European insurtech leader Element Insurance AG; Junseok Oh, a Payment Engineer at Delivery Hero SE (which acquired Korea’s Baedal Minjok); and Sujin Lee, a Junior Developer at tax filing mobile app Taxfix GmbH.

[European Startup Chronicles] Meeting Three Korean Developers in Berlin ②

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 09:58:05 +0900

Meeting Three Korean Developers in Berlin ②

Cover photo source = fotolia.com

About getting to Berlin, and the startup and developer culture experienced in Europe

[European Startup Chronicles] Meeting Three Korean Developers in Berlin ①

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 09:56:07 +0900

Meeting Three Korean Developers in Berlin ①

Cover photo source = fotolia.com

Hear about Berlin life from fintech developers at Element, Delivery Hero, and Taxfix

When looking into the Berlin startup ecosystem, an interesting detail catches the eye: there is almost always a Korean employee in every reasonably well-known startup.

In traditional German small and medium enterprises (SMEs) or large corporations, opportunities are usually given to those who have studied in German-speaking countries, possess professional skills in the relevant field, or speak German perfectly. However, because German has a very high language barrier and the business culture is quite different from Korea, it is not easy for a typical Korean to get a job at a traditional German company in a general position. But startups are different. Berlin has a very global atmosphere, and since the demand for developers is high but the supply is low, developers from all over the world gather in Berlin. Additionally, the city encourages startups, so there are no major obstacles to obtaining a visa.