Foreign students pose for a commemorative photo in front of the Seokdang Museum after attending the 2024 Fall Graduation Farewell Ceremony for international students, held at Dong-A University’s Bumin Campus in Seo-gu, Busan, on August 21. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — Nearly one in six foreign graduates who stayed in South Korea after studying have faced workplace difficulties, including conflicts with Korean colleagues or wage disputes, according to a government-funded study released Sunday.
The Korea Immigration Service Institute found that 16.4 percent of foreign residents who previously studied in Korea reported problems at work in the past year, compared with 12.6 percent of those without a study background. The survey drew on 2023 immigration and labor data compiled by the Ministry of Justice and Statistics Korea.
Among graduates, 6.6 percent said they had conflicts with Korean co-workers — more than double the rate among non-students — while 3.3 percent experienced delayed wages or unfair dismissal. Reports of harassment, including physical assault or sexual misconduct, were also nearly twice as common among foreign graduates.
Economic strains were especially acute. More than a third cited moving due to rising rents, a figure far higher than for non-student migrants, reflecting the heavy concentration of foreign graduates in Seoul’s costly housing market. About 12.5 percent said they had skipped meals, and 30 percent reported struggling to pay tuition for themselves or family members.
Despite these challenges, foreign graduates were more likely than other migrants to hold professional or office jobs and to earn higher wages. Nearly half worked in management or professional positions, compared with less than one-fifth of non-students, and close to half reported monthly earnings of at least 3 million won ($2,200).
The findings underscore what researchers described as a double-edged reality: while foreign graduates integrate into higher-skilled jobs, they also face greater dissatisfaction tied to workplace conflicts and precarious living conditions. The report warned that policies catering solely to labor market needs without addressing these concerns risk leaving graduates disillusioned.
Statistics Korea cautioned that the study’s results did not apply weighting to the sample, meaning some ratios could differ under standard statistical adjustments.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
