Becoming a Blockchain developer in Korea is a surefire way to make money in Korea. The Korean government has stated time and time again their desire to research Blockchain technologies. Add this to the fact that there are Blockchain projects that spring up every single week in Korea. Investors in Korea are still looking to find the next big Blockchain project. Therefore there is a high demand for Blockchain developers in Korea. It is estimated that you can easily earn up to at least 80,000 dollars (104 million won) a year to start. Many think becoming a Blockchain developer is impossible without any programming experience. This is not true. I will give you some resources to help you become a Blockchain developer in Korea.

Why become a Blockchain Developer in Korea?

It is one of the highest-paying fields in tech right now in Korea. Blockchain Developers and Cloud Engineers are in high demand. However, Blockchain developers in Korea make more than AI programmers, big data analysts, and software developers. As I mentioned above, you can earn a starting salary of 80,000 dollars yearly as a Blockchain developer in Korea. This is still below the US average, which is double that. A year of Blockchain development experience can get you into the six figures.

So what is the catch? The major catch is that you will need to know at least some level of Korean. Most job postings in Korea are written in Korean, and headhunters in Korea focus on developers that can communicate in Korean. If you are interested in working in Korea, you probably know some level of Korean. For those that do not, I would recommend spending a year on getting your TOPIK level to at least level 3.

With the rapid adoption of blockchain technology in various industries, blockchain developers are in high demand in Korea. The demand for blockchain developers in Korea has increased by 571% over the last year. Blockchain developers in Korea can earn higher salaries than traditional software developers due to the scarcity of skilled professionals.

Tips on Becoming a Blockchain Developer in Korea

Learn a programming language.

To become a blockchain developer, you must understand programming languages such as Java, Python, C++, or Solidity. You must also know blockchain fundamentals, cryptography, distributed systems, and data structures. You can pursue a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field. However, a degree is not mandatory in Korea, especially if you have the necessary skills and experience. You can also opt for online courses and certifications in blockchain development to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills.

As a blockchain developer, you need to be familiar with various tools and technologies, such as:

• Ethereum: A popular blockchain platform for developing decentralized applications.
• Solidity: A programming language for writing smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain.
• Hyperledger Fabric: A blockchain platform for developing enterprise-grade decentralized applications.
• Remix: An integrated development environment (IDE) for Solidity that allows developers to write, deploy and test smart contracts.
• Truffle: A development framework simplifying building decentralized Ethereum blockchain applications.
• Ganache: A personal blockchain for Ethereum development that allows developers to test smart contracts and dApps.

Work for a Korean Blockchain Company or Startup

Blockchain developers can find employment opportunities in Korea in various industries, including finance, healthcare, logistics, and supply chain. Some of the popular job titles in Korea include:

• Blockchain Developer
• Blockchain Architect
• Blockchain Engineer
• Smart Contract Developer
• DApp Developer

Your first goal should be to work for a Blockchain company in Korea. NOT to start your Blockchain startup in Korea. This is key as starting a business of your own in Korea requires so many additional responsibilities, which we will not cover in this article. Working for a Blockchain company in Korea will be easy because of the number of companies looking into Blockchain technologies. When you publish your Korean resume on any job-finding platform in Korea, you will be swarmed with job offers.

Remember to have your resume translated into Korean. Most job postings will be in Korean, or it will state that you will need to be business fluent in Korean. However, because the demand for Blockchain developers in Korea is so high, many who don’t speak Korean can still get the job. However, when applying, ensure your resume is in Korean to get you to the next phase.

Work on Blockchain Applications and not Protocols

You want to be a Blockchain developer working on applications built on top of existing Blockchain technology. For example, if you compare this to the web, you don’t want to build web browsers like Chrome, but rather websites. So the question is, what has the highest demand in South Korea? Cryptocurrency exchanges and Blockchain apps for gaming are both great avenues to take in South Korea. Furthermore, many fintech companies and gaming companies in Korea are aggressively looking to incorporate Blockchain into their current business.

Become a Blockchain Developer for Ethereum

If you want to be a Blockchain developer in high demand, I suggest you go with Ethereum, which allows you to run small smart contracts programs. Knowing smart contracts, in general, is critical for Blockchain developers. Most Blockchain projects in Korea choose Ethereum because it is much more flexible than other Blockchains. EOS is a close second, but Ethereum developers are much bigger than EOS. Therefore there is much more help out there, and Ethereum has a greater chance of surviving in the long run.

Study up on Dapps that have had success.

Don’t spend too much time here, but it is important to see some of the successful Dapps built on Ethereum. Ethereum has over 2,800 applications from Dapps, so only pick the top ones you can find on DappRadar or a Dapp list website on Google.

Another road you can take is to look into Klaytn. Klaytn is a global public Blockchain platform developed by Ground X, the Blockchain subsidiary of Kakao. Look at some of the top Klaytn Blockchain apps to get inspired.

Focus on Gaming Dapps or Decentralized Exchanges

Now narrow your niche to gaming or decentralized exchanges (DEX). Many Korean gaming companies are looking into Blockchain games. Same with cryptocurrency exchanges in Korea. Due to many Korean cryptocurrency exchanges getting hacked, at some point, they will need to look into becoming a decentralized exchange. Being the first fully decentralized cryptocurrency exchange in Korea will have huge potential for getting funding and acquiring users.

Go to Udemy and Learn these 5 Development Tools

Udemy is probably the best place to learn how to become a Blockchain developer. There are other platforms, but I found Udemy to be the best. There are reviews by other members, and you can learn at your own pace. The key tools & libraries to learn are

• Web3
• Remix
• Solc
• Ganache
• Truffle

Spend a few hours each to better understand each development tool or library. I would suggest giving yourself a month during this process. Knowing these development tools and libraries inside out will put you well ahead of other candidates in Korea.

Learn Smart Contracts

Being able to make smart contracts is the main part of being a Blockchain developer for Ethereum. Solidity is used for writing smart contracts. It is similar to Javascript, but you must type each variable so that it will take longer. Many Blockchain companies in Korea need a Blockchain developer for smart contracts. This one skill alone can get you a job as soon as possible.

Build a Dapp

During your interview with a Korean Blockchain company, you must show you can build a Dapp. This is why it is important to build a Dapp before you apply for any job. This could cost you some money, but it will be worth it. You will need a website, Metamask, and smart contracts. There are communities out there you can go to for help. Most Blockchain developers don’t even have a Dapp to show during their job interviews. If you have a Dapp, it is almost certain you will get a job in Korea.

Focus on Ethereum 2.0!

Ethereum 2.0 opens up a world of new possibilities. Dapps will get fast, highly scalable (100,000 transactions per second), and will be able to compete in the open market. Ethereum 2.0 is an upgrade to Ethereum and is sometimes called Eth2 or Serenity.

The major change is moving to a proof of stake consensus (previously proof of work) where there are validators instead of minors. The validator proposes new blocks and provides computing power, storage, and bandwidth to validate transactions. The validators are then given periodic payouts in the form of ETH. Moreover, proof of stake is more energy-efficient than proof of work since it uses less computing power to secure a blockchain.

Another change comes in what is known as Sharding. Sharding is splitting one blockchain into multiple blockchains, known as shards. Every validator will maintain information related only to their shard, which is shuffled regularly to avoid any form of manipulation.

Ethereum is the largest general-purpose Blockchain in today’s market. Currently, there are over 2,800 Ethereum projects that are being built. The upgrade to Ethereum 2.0 will take place in three phases (0,1 and 2). Phase 0 was launched in December 2020 with the implementation of the Beacon Chain. Phase 1 happened in 2021, with 64 shards launched. Finally, Phase 2 happened in 2022, when the shards became fully functional and compatible with smart contracts. Therefore, by the end of 2023, Ethereum 2.0 will garner more and more interest from investors and startups, so it is crucial to learn it now.

Future of Blockchain in Korea

Blockchain technology is rapidly evolving, and the demand for skilled developers will grow in Korea in the coming years. Some major tech companies like Naver and Kakao are constantly on the hunt for developers, especially blockchain developers. To become a blockchain developer, you must have a solid understanding of programming languages, blockchain fundamentals, and data structures. You can acquire the necessary knowledge and skills through online courses, certifications, and practical experience. As a blockchain developer, you can work in various industries in Korea and earn higher salaries than traditional software developers, who typically make around $60,000 (78 million won).