As Korean companies expand their footprint across the United States, securing qualified local workers has emerged as one of their biggest challenges. In an effort to help resolve this problem, a new recruitment platform is looking to a promising pool of candidates: former U.S. service members who have spent time in Korea. The USFK Job Platform, run by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in partnership with the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation, connects Korean companies operating in the U.S. with former and soon-to-retire U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) personnel. Lee Hyung-hee, vice chairman of the Seoul Chamber of Commerce and Industry who led the initiative, said the idea grew out of a practical problem facing Korean businesses investing in the U.S. “In recent years, the number of Korean companies expanding into the U.S. has increased significantly and demand for local workers has risen rapidly, particularly in advanced industries such as semiconductors and batteries,” Lee told The Korea Times. “But one of the biggest difficulties these companies face is securing local work