More than half a million college graduates enter the labor market annually in Korea, and just half of them succeed in landing jobs. Many of the new employees with college diplomas are overqualified for their work. Employment experts estimate that less than one-tenth of university graduates in the country find the jobs they want at large private businesses, public corporations and government agencies.

Surely, it is necessary to strengthen efforts to create more decent jobs to resolve this job mismatch and enable more youths to lead stable lives and plan for a brighter future. Struggling with harsh economic conditions, a growing number of younger Koreans are inclined to delay or even shun marriage and have fewer babies. Many people go into debt before entering the workforce, with a 2012 survey showing that more than two-thirds of respondents attending college owed 13 million won ($11,600) on average, a large part of which was loans for tuition fees.

The reality facing a glut of overeducated workers in the country, however, is that not many well-paying jobs will be added to the local labor market as the economy is slowing down and companies remain hesitant to increase investment due to growing economic uncertainties.

In these circumstances, a welcome trend is that an increasing number of younger Koreans are seeking to gain jobs and go further to start their own businesses abroad.

Since 2008, about 13,000 Koreans under 29 have found opportunities to work in foreign countries, according to data from the Human Resources Development Service of Korea, a state-funded institution. Over the same period, 2,765 Koreans in their early 30s have landed jobs overseas.

The number of people employed abroad with the help of the government increased from 570 in 2010 to 607 in 2012 and 651 last year. In the first 10 months of this year, their number reached 502.

It is desirable for Korean youths to strive to land jobs in more diversified fields in more various parts of the world. Stories of young Koreans venturing abroad should encourage and inspire their colleagues who are in frustration or despair about their hardships at home.

In a sense, Koreans in their 20s and early 30s, who are said to be the most globalized generation in the history of the country, are well prepared to compete on the global stage and adapt to work and life overseas. Rather than confining themselves to domestic competition for a limited number of preferred jobs, they need to go abroad to find more opportunities and open the way to achieve their future dreams. Young Koreans with competence and resolve may get better chances of realizing their full potential particularly in emerging economies in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The government deserves some credit for having tried to expand support for youths seeking to find jobs or launch their own start-ups overseas. It still needs to work out more effective measures tailored to specific countries to help enable young Koreans to prove their ability and creativity on the global stage.