Despite efforts to recruit global talent, language, culture, and limited career support hinder long-term settlement plans. (Image provided by Yonhap News TV)
SEOUL, April 28(Korea Bizwire) — Despite aggressive efforts to attract outstanding foreign talent to bolster its science and engineering sectors, South Korea is facing challenges in persuading international students to settle in the country after graduation, a new government report shows.
On April 27, the National Research Foundation of Korea released findings from its study on foreign graduate students participating in the Brain Korea 21 (BK21) project, a flagship initiative aimed at nurturing top-tier researchers. According to the report, only 27 percent of surveyed foreign students expressed a desire to settle permanently in South Korea.
The BK21 program, which primarily focuses on cultivating master’s and doctoral students in science and engineering fields, surveyed 1,729 foreign students enrolled in 450 BK21 research teams between 2020 and 2023.
Of the respondents, 82.9 percent were science and engineering majors, and students hailed from 77 countries — with the largest contingents from China (28.6 percent) and Vietnam (13 percent).
While 42 percent of respondents indicated they would like to find employment in South Korea, fewer were willing to remain long term. The report noted that although similar patterns were observed among students considering employment in other countries, foreign students in Korea were particularly likely to plan to return to their home nations rather than settle.
The main obstacle cited was the language and cultural barrier. Only 2.95 percent of foreign students had Korean proficiency at a native level, while 17.21 percent reported no Korean skills at all and 43.16 percent were at a basic level.
With 64 percent of courses taught primarily in English and 74 percent of students communicating with academic advisors in English, the incentive to learn Korean remained low.
Moreover, opportunities for cultural integration appeared limited: in 34 percent of laboratories, foreign students comprised more than half of the group, and in 40 percent, they accounted for between 10 to 50 percent.
This environment, the report suggests, reduced exposure to Korean workplace norms and broader societal integration.
Foreign students also cited inadequate employment support. While many relied on the internet to seek job information, few found university career centers helpful, highlighting gaps in institutional support for foreign students transitioning to the workforce.
The report emphasized that amid South Korea’s declining youth population, attracting and retaining foreign talent is increasingly critical. It recommended bolstering Korean language education, enhancing career development programs, and improving basic living support services for international students.
Crucially, the report called for a shift in policy perspective — moving beyond merely attracting students for enrollment and graduation, toward creating a coherent pathway that includes post-graduation employment and long-term settlement.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
