블로그

Complete Guide to the Corporate Customized Internship (K-Trainee, D-4-K) Program

2025-12-04

📌 What is the K-Trainee Program?

The Corporate Customized Internship (K-Trainee) Program is a newly introduced scheme designed to strengthen the global competitiveness of Korean companies that have expanded overseas. Through this program, outstanding overseas talent is invited to the headquarters in Korea so that they can enhance their practical, on-the-job capabilities.

For Korean companies, it provides an opportunity to secure global human resources. For overseas talent, it serves as a new stepping stone for growth and career development – a mutually beneficial “win-win” program.

To implement K-Trainee, the Ministry of Justice has created a new visa type, D-4-2K. The program will take effect from October 29, 2025, and will be operated as a pilot for two years, after which a decision will be made on whether to expand it.

🎯 Key Benefits of the K-Trainee Program

For Companies	They can directly train professional personnel who are working at overseas subsidiaries or local entities, by bringing them to the headquarters in Korea. They can secure and enhance their global competitiveness by improving the capabilities of local talent. They can build a stable and sustainable global talent pipeline.
For Trainees (Workers)	They gain the opportunity to experience real-world work at the Korean headquarters. They can strengthen their professional competencies and develop their careers. They can grow into company-tailored talent, thereby securing stronger competitiveness for their future.

✅ Eligibility Requirements

1. Talent locally hired at overseas subsidiaries

• Must fall under one of the 77 occupational categories eligible for the “Specific Activities” (E-7-1, E-7-2) visa.

• Must be scheduled to participate in an internship at the Korean headquarters.Must be scheduled to participate in an internship at the Korean headquarters.

2. Students under industry-academia cooperation

• Talent who are nurtured and sponsored by Korean companies that have expanded overseas, through industry-academia cooperation with local universities.

• Young people under the age of 29.

• Students currently enrolled in at least the 3rd year of a bachelor’s degree program (including master’s and doctoral students).

• Must have Korean language proficiency of TOPIK Level 2 or higher.

📋 Visa Information: D-4-2K

Participants in the K-Trainee Program will be issued a D-4-2K visa. This is one of the “General Training (D-4)” visa types, newly established specifically for corporate customized internship purposes.

• A visa dedicated to corporate internship programs.

• Allows trainees to receive practical, on-the-job training at the headquarters in Korea.

• The basic period of stay is 6 months, extendable up to a maximum of 1 year; after the internship ends, the trainee must return to their home country.

• Any employment activities other than the internship itself are restricted.

✅ Number of Interns Allowed

• At each business site, the number of interns allowed is within 10% of the total number of regular employees.

• The total number of interns who can participate at the same time cannot exceed 100.

🌏 K-Trainee Target Countries

The program targets nine Asian countries where at least 150 Korean companies have established a presence:

💡 Related Information on K-Trainee

🔗 Search occupations eligible for E-7 visa

🔗 Introduction to the D-4 visa

🔗 Introduction to the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK)