Identical Russian twins find success working in South Korea’s biggest industry

Not many people can claim to have grown up in the same town, attended the same schools throughout their lives, studied the same degree, and even moved abroad to the same country to pursue their careers.

Even for twins, this might be taking it to the extreme, but Oleg Smagin and Genya Smagin aren’t too fazed by it.

“We share a similar path — we shared the same desk throughout elementary, middle, and high school, and even attended the same university for our undergraduate and master’s degrees,” says Oleg. “Now, we’re both working in South Korea doing AI, but just in different industries.”

Oleg and Genya are identical twins who share a passion for tech. Source: Genya Smagin

Two individuals, same degree, one shared interest in the Korean language

Growing up in Russia, Oleg and Genya always had an interest in the social sciences.

In high school, they participated in the Olympiad, a national educational competition that awards top contestants full scholarships and the opportunity to pick the universities of their choice. Together, the twins won in the social sciences and history category.

Following that, they were admitted into the Higher School of Economics (HSE University), the best and most prestigious business school in Russia, to pursue a degree in International Economics.

“We both dreamt of pursuing an education abroad, but we realised that if we were to study law, our initial choice, it meant that we would be learning something that can only be applied in Russia,” says Genya. “Even if we were to pursue a degree in international law, it’s not in demand compared to local law.”

Hence, pursuing a degree in international relations was a natural choice.

And as part of their programme, students had to choose an Asian language to study. The twins chose Korean. 

Genya and Oleg might never have ended up working in South Korea if not for participating in an exchange programme during their university years. Source: Genya Smagin

“The Korean language did not draw that much attention then, and there wasn’t much competition, so it was a good choice,” says Genya. “Besides, everything around us, such as home appliances and cars, is made by Korean companies.”

Halfway through their degree, they participated in exchange programmes at universities in three major cities in South Korea: Korea University in Seoul, Chungnam National University in Daejeon, and Chonnam National University (CNU) in Gwangju.

“It was our first time in Asia — we’ve only travelled around before,” says Oleg. “The minute I landed in South Korea, I strongly felt that this was where I belonged. I thought I would feel out of place, but it was the opposite — I wanted to pursue a career here.”

Falling in love with South Korea, the twins decided to apply for a transfer to CNU to complete the rest of their bachelor’s programme.

From there, they went on to earn an MBA at Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST), one of the best universities in the country.

Genya and Oleg alongside Yoo Se Yoon and Jun Hyun Moo, hosts of the popular Korean TV show, “Abnormal Summit.” Source: Genya Smagin

How to turn passion into purpose

MBAs are lucrative degrees for working professionals, equipping them with a comprehensive understanding of business management principles and practices for leadership roles and career advancements.

For Oleg and Genya, an MBA was also a stepping stone into the AI industry. 

Growing up, the twins were avid gamers and always interested in technology. They even owned various OG gaming devices, such as the Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo DS, and a PlayStation One.

One may think that with their interest in computer games, they would have chosen to pursue a degree in computer science. They would have — they were good at maths and computer science; however, their interest in economics and business was stronger.

The good news was that KAIST is recognised for its innovation and entrepreneurship in fields such as science, technology, and engineering. The university’s College of Business was also ranked #20 for Executive Education Open 2024 by the Financial Times.

Attending an MBA programme there allowed the twins to fuse their interests in technology and international economics — two things that eventually led them to the bigger world of AI.

According to US News and World Report, South Korea is currently ranked second globally in the list of countries with the most technological expertise, beating  China, the US, and many other countries with bigger GDPs.

Combined with their interests and skills, the twins had no issue making their way into the tech industry, even if it meant going on separate — but parallel — paths.

Genya and Oleg are both working in South Korea now, and while they’re in different companies and industries, the work is pretty similar. Source: Genya Smagin

What working in South Korea is like for twins with similar job scopes

Genya is part of the AI partnerships and strategy team at SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest mobile telecommunications company and pioneer in mobile technology. He’s been with the company for almost seven years.

“I first joined SK Telecom as part of their 5G department, and we were in charge of cloud gaming,” says Genya. “I focused on investments and startup companies to invest in. Now, I’m a part of an AI department that develops AI services and platforms in South Korea.” 

Oleg’s job scope is similar to his brother’s. He works in the gaming industry, specifically blockchain Web3. Today, he is a senior investment manager at WEMADE, a front-runner in the new paradigm of integrating gaming and blockchain.

“Despite working for different companies and industries, we work on the same things. I help our gaming department create better games for AI and find potential unicorns in the AI space,” says Oleg.

While most might think that the brothers have decided to go down different — albeit parallel — paths while working in South Korea, their goals have actually allowed them to expand on their combined knowledge.

Together, they co-founded the “Digital Twins Podcast,” the world’s first AI Podcast, curated and directed by humans and hosted by AI. 

“We wanted to leverage our knowledge of the AI field and connect it with something creative, so that’s how the podcast was born,” says Oleg. “It was a great way to show how AI’s developing, but also what AI tools can do to help the creative industry.”

The twins are the podcast’s directors and showrunners, but AI edits and voice-synchronises it. At its launch, no other podcast could claim to do the same.

“The podcast isn’t a business as it’s not profitable, but it’s an experiment for us to implement some solutions for issues in the AI field while educating listeners,” Genya shares.

What is profitable — and great for getting their unique story of foreigners living in South Korea out to a wider audience — is their work in the entertainment industry.

The twins are well-loved guests on popular South Korean TV shows too, like “이웃집찰스” (My Neighbour, Charles), “개그콘서트” (Gag Concert), “비정상회담” (Abnormal Summit), “문제적남자” (Problematic Men), and “아침마당” (AM Plaza). 

They have even been awarded an award for a renowned educational TV show called “장학퀴즈” (Janghak Quiz).

After the twins made their TV debut on Netflix-featured “비정상회담” (Abnormal Summit), one of the most popular Korean TV shows at the time, the producers of “My Neighbour Charles” offered them to make a full episode about their life in Korea.

“It wasn’t the first programme we were on, but it was one of the most successful programmes that featured foreigners at the time, and it gave a rare chance to tell a story of our daily life as it is,” Oleg says.

On the show, the twins shared what it was like living in Korean society and the challenges they faced as foreigners.

Being on the show opened up opportunities to star in other shows and inspire others thinking of studying or working in South Korea.

Oleg agrees, “I realised that by appearing on shows like these, I can help others, even if it’s not meeting them in person. I can give it my all for that one hour of showtime. I underestimated myself then, but after reading the comments, I realised what I do is beautiful, and that’s the reason we’re doing what we do.”