Attracting highly skilled workers (HSWs) is a major element for the economic development of many countries, especially developing countries. However, the general international mobility of workers is from developing countries to developed ones. Historical evidence has indicated that Korean and Taiwanese firms scout for highly skilled Japanese workers (either retired or soon-to-retire) to accrue knowledge and achieve catch-up. Therefore, this article investigates how highly skilled Japanese workers have been scouted by firms in Korea and Taiwan. Aimed at producing evidence rather than testing hypotheses, the findings of this article provide practical information for firms in developing countries on attracting HSWs for their growth. In addition, this article provides insights into the international mobility of HSWs from a developed country to developing countries, which has not been examined in the previous literature.