[K-Women Talk] Portugal's Regret at Letting Columbus and Magellan Slip Away

Joseon's "Tragic History of Talent," from the loss of Jang Yeongsil onward
Organizations must think through everything from recruitment to development

Portugal, which I visited last September before going to the UK, built an empire on which the sun never set in the 15th century, before Britain did. Yet two figures whose rejection would become a lasting historical regret were Columbus and Magellan.

In the 15th century, Portugal was a nation rich in talent. To support ocean voyages, Prince Henry gathered navigators, cartographers, and astronomers regardless of their nationality or background. At the same time, Joseon had King Sejong, who also recruited Jang Yeongsil, a former government slave, and sent him to the Ming Dynasty to learn about astronomical instruments.

In 1434, the very year Prince Henry's ship first rounded Cape Bojador, known as "the end of the world," Jang Yeongsil completed the Jagyeokru water clock. It is striking that two leaders at opposite ends of Eurasia sought to usher in a new era by nurturing talent around the same time.

Portugal, however, let two crucial talents slip away. Portuguese experts rejected Christopher Columbus's proposal to reach Asia by sailing west. They were right to judge that his calculation of the distance was wrong, but with Spain's backing, he ultimately opened a route to the Americas.

Portuguese-born Ferdinand Magellan also went to Spain after being turned away by his own king. For Portugal, which had already secured an eastern route, his plan was an investment it had little need to make. The fleet Magellan led set sail in 1519 and continued its voyage even after his death at sea, completing the first circumnavigation of the globe three years later. A talent Portugal failed to retain helped usher in Spain's golden age.

In Joseon's history, Jang Yeongsil also disappears from the records in 1442, after being punished when the royal palanquin whose construction he had overseen broke. We do not even know what became of the talent who led Joseon's golden age of science.

Companies' assessments are generally not wrong by the standards of the moment. But when those standards are aligned only with "the right answer today," the talents who could change the future are left outside them. The same person can be seen as a risk or become the key to the future, depending on the problems and strategies an organization sets.

At a recent lecture in Korea titled "Solving the Problems that Cannot Wait," Juan de Pablo, dean of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, stressed that New York University, too, sought to recruit "the best and the brightest" to solve humanity's most pressing problems. His remarks left a strong impression. Whether in government, business, or academia, the competition for talent in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) is in full swing.

What lessons can Korea's past offer its companies as they enter a new period of growth driven by advanced AI industries?

First, when recruiting talent, organizations need to identify the problems they "cannot wait" to solve and try to write down, in a single sentence, "What will this person change if they join us?" They should also check whether the specific hiring needs related to that question are clearly stated in the job description.

Second, organizations need to assess whether they have the ability to retain the talent they recruit. Bringing talent on board is not the end; it is the beginning. They must consider and manage the authority and career development paths of the people they hire. As the recent issue of semiconductor talent moving to Chinese companies became a social concern, losing talent can mean that competitors gain it.

Magellan honed his abilities during Portugal's voyages to India and Malacca, in which he served as a junior officer. But amid internal scheming and distrust among the leadership during the reign of Manuel I, the fruits of his work ultimately went to Portugal's longtime rival, Spain. Talent should not become part of an organization's story only after leaving; it should be put to use while still there.

Moon Seonkyung, Executive Vice President at Unico Search

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.