Today's knowledge-based society is often called an age of “global war for talents.” Particularly with the onset of glocalization — a combination of globalization and localization — and the rise of network society, success of national innovation eco-systems critically depends upon their respective ability to attract or tap onto such global talents with creativity and expertise. However, the old “brain drain” or “brain gain” model based on the conventional understanding of labor migration as a unidirectional movement often results in the underestimation of multi-directional networks that could transmit social capital between bridged countries for achieving mutual benefits (Putnam, 2000). The recent research on labor migration has increasingly shifted its focus to a new model that addresses “brain circulation” or “flow of human talents” (Velema, 2012). For instance, Saxenian (2007) offers a new paradigm by arguing that “New Argonauts” or high-skilled workers who left their home countries to build knowledge and skills have been reversing “brain drain” through creating transnational professional networks between host and home countries. In this framework of understanding, the outflow of domestic talents does not constitute a risk or hindrance to economic development. The key lies in some organic presence of human talents, open community, and their networks, as demonstrated by the continuous successes of such regional innovation hubs as Silicon Valley. For a society like Korea, where the networks tend to be those of exclusionary blood, regional or school ties, the developmental task may require transformation of its informal as well as formal institutional human resource development (HRD) or human resource management (HRM) infrastructure which goes beyond brain gain or drain framework of mind. From an alternative brain circulation framework, therefore, this paper takes a critical look at Korea's extant HRM system, institutional structure and practices, with an eye on some comparative perspective from the cases of China, India, and Israel. The paper argues that such a transformative or adaptive outlook springs from cosmopolitan values. In so doing, it offers some tentative suggestions about how Korea could practically and strategically bring about such an adaptive change in the way its HRM system operates
