The justice ministry has announced plans to introduce a new visa that allows students from overseas universities to work as interns at domestic companies in the high-tech field.

According to the ministry on Friday, the internship visa scheme, taking effect on Monday, is aimed at strengthening corporate competitiveness by attracting global talent.

High-tech areas that qualify for the visa include semiconductors, information technology, the environment, energy and technological business management.

The visa also allows foreign students currently attending South Korean universities to complete internships at local firms.

However, to prevent any adverse effects on job openings for Korean nationals, non-Korean hires, including interns, cannot exceed 20 percent of a company's employment quota.