Almost half of South Koreans who secured jobs abroad through government support programs over the past five years have returned home. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 20 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent survey has revealed that almost half of South Koreans who secured jobs abroad through government support programs over the past five years have returned home.
The Human Resources Development Service of Korea (HRD Korea) conducted a follow-up survey in April and May, targeting 6,751 individuals who found employment overseas through government-sponsored initiatives from 2018 to 2023.
The results, submitted to the office of Representative Kang Deuk-gu of the Democratic Party, show that 46.6% of these workers have since returned to South Korea.
This figure includes 30.4% who have found new employment in South Korea and 16.2% who are currently job hunting in their home country.
Among those who returned, the most common duration of overseas stay was between one and two years, accounting for 43.3% of returnees. The second most frequent length of stay was six months to one year, at 20.9%.
The survey highlighted differences in return rates based on the method of overseas job placement. Those who secured positions through HRD Korea’s training programs had a significantly higher return rate of 60.4%, compared to 27.8% for those placed through KOTRA (the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency).
The majority of returnees, 73.8%, cited voluntary termination of employment as their reason for coming back. When asked about their motivations, 41.9% said they had gained sufficient experience, 10.5% were dissatisfied with wage levels, 10.4% cited health issues, and 6.2% mentioned high living costs abroad.
Overall job satisfaction among overseas workers scored 3.94 out of 5 points. Both current overseas workers and returnees ranked “experiencing foreign life and culture” as the most satisfying aspect of their time abroad.
On the flip side, common complaints included “lower wages compared to Korea,” “low job security,” and “limited career development opportunities.” Among those still working overseas, 16.1% cited low wages as their primary concern, while returnees most frequently mentioned job insecurity (13.9%) as their main source of dissatisfaction.
The survey also revealed the most popular destinations for government-supported overseas employment from 2018 to 2023: Japan (28.7%), the United States (25.6%), Vietnam (7.4%), and Singapore (4.2%). The countries with the highest rates of return were the United States (40.6%) and Japan (20%).
Kang emphasized the need for improved post-employment support, stating, “We need to establish measures to address difficulties faced by workers during their overseas stay and ensure recognition of their foreign work experience upon return.”
He also called for an analysis of the higher return rates among HRD Korea program participants to develop appropriate strategies.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
