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"When I worked in Japan, companies were allowed to advertise the gender, age range and sometimes even nationality they were seeking along with the qualifications."

When I was in Korea, it was customary for resumes to include a photo of the applicant. Those without would not even be considered.

The photo request was common in Japan as well. If you sought work though an agency, the photo was a requirement. Most companies also required them, but a few didn't as it was considered a rather archaic requirement by some who wanted a modern image.

Another weird and archaic thing is that many of them wanted your resume handwritten, particularly in Japanese. It gave them not only an idea of your skill level in their national language, but also (supposedly) your personality.

When I lived in Japan (1988-2002) and traveled to Korea on business, I'd say Korea was probably ten years behind Japan socially at first, but less than half that when I left.

Very funny thing about the Oriental mind. Many think they can see into your personality by looking at your photo. But it is the height of rudeness to make fixed eye contact. The Japanese even have a saying about the eyes being the window of the soul. But you learn quickly NOT to look people in the eye.

I spent some time on temporary assignment in Korea and my co-workers there tried to convince me to stay by saying I could become fluent in Korean within a few months because it was so similar to Japanese. There is more similarities between the two societies than either side cares to admit. And not just the languages and unwritten rules about eye contact.