The 14th Global Interns. It is a governmental internship program that sends interns overseas. (Image : Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Korea Bizwire) – It has been revealed that most of the young people who participated in the government’s overseas internship program ended up working for free.
According to a report about working conditions for government overseas interns, 2,404 among the total number of interns between 2011 and 2013 (2,767 interns) worked for free.
Even if they were paid, the amount was around 1 million won, which is very low. The government covered air transportation fees, visa fees, and a part of their living expenses, but since they were not paid, the interns faced serious economic difficulties.
According to an interview conducted with participants of overseas internships, financial support from the government was small, forcing them to cover their expenses with their own money.
However, most of these interns worked long hours, from 40 hours a week to 80 hours a week. Of note, those participating in the plant industry sector worked an average of 59 hours a week. Sixteen interns answered that they worked 70 hours to 80 hours, and 10 were said to have worked more than 80 hours per week.
Even so, less than 10 percent of the interns were able to get a job abroad. The percentage of overseas interns working in the plant industry sector who got a job was only 0.5 percent. That means only 5 out of 961 people got a job abroad.
Officials criticized the program, saying that it has changed into a business just to show off. They pointed out that the participants’ working environments should be improved, work conditions should meet labor standards, and efforts should be made to connect the internship to future employment.
By Francine Jung (francine.jung@kobizmedia.co.kr)
