Search only the big-name postings and a whole semester can pass without a single application, simply because their intake window did not line up with yours. Korean companies recruit interns in two quite different ways, and each one is found in a different place and asks for different things.
Open recruitment — fixed windows
This is what large corporations and public institutions mostly use. Hiring runs in defined seasons and moves through document screening, a written or AI-based aptitude test, and interviews. The schedule is published in advance, which makes preparation straightforward, but miss the window and the next one may be a semester away. Eligibility requirements also tend to be stricter, sometimes specifying year of study or graduation timing.
Rolling recruitment — open continuously
Mid-sized companies and startups lean on this. Postings appear on their own careers pages, through university career centres, and on platforms such as LinkedIn and Wanted. A fair number of these employers actively want international hires, so being able to work in both Korean and English tends to count for more here than in open recruitment. The most reliable habit is bookmarking the careers page of companies you care about and checking them on a schedule, because rolling postings are often filled before they circulate widely.
What you send
A resume and a cover letter are the baseline. For international applicants many employers additionally want to see your residence status and Korean ability, so put your TOPIK level or English test score near the top of the resume rather than burying it. Whether to attach a photo depends on the posting: many Korean resumes still include one, though companies running blind recruitment use formats without it. In the cover letter, answer why this company and what you would do in this role through specific past experience, since generic enthusiasm reads the same across every applicant.
If you are on a student visa, check this first
Taking a paid internship on a study residence status can require part-time work permission, and the permitted hours differ between term time and vacation. Discovering this after you are offered the position delays your start date, so ask your university's international office while you are still applying, and confirm the current requirements through HiKorea or the 1345 immigration contact centre. The rules here have been revised more than once, so check the present standard rather than relying on what a senior student tells you.
Stage-by-stage preparation and examples of successful applications are in the internship guide on the WeBring blog.