Korea welcomes international students but employability barriers remain

What began as an admiration for Korean pop culture soon grew into a career dream for Siddhi Konduskar, one that always pointed her toward South Korea.

A Mumbai native with a bachelor’s degree in film and media production, she spent five years working in India before moving to Seoul to study Korean language and literature.

Since then, the journey has been fulfilling for Konduskar, now holding two diplomas from Korean institutes in education, production, and entrepreneurship, and building a career in the country’s thriving entertainment industry with experience as a creative producer at two well-known media companies.

But reaching this point was far from easy, a reality shared by many international graduates in Korea.

“The most challenging part has been the disconnect between how my work in India is perceived here versus back home,” Konduskar told The PIE News.  

“I’ve spent years building a career in the Indian music and film industry, working with production houses, artists, and brands. But in Korea, companies – especially Korean ones – tend to be very rigid because of their hierarchy system. No matter your background, they expect you to start from below and work your way up.”

Many (employers) express willingness to hire foreigners, especially in sectors facing shortages, but execution stalls when HR anticipates communication or cultural issues

_{Kyuseok Kim, IES Abroad}

The disconnect Konduskar describes was also echoed by Han Sang-shin, director of Korea’s National Institute for International Education (NIIED), who told the Korea Times, in a recent interview, that international students and employers remain “disconnected”, caught in an underdeveloped system with no clear pathway linking them.

“Mismatch is one of the most frustrating problems. International students are eager to work and companies need personnel, yet both sides are struggling to navigate a maze of unclear processes, limited outreach and institutional silos,” stated Sang-shin.

In the past year, Korea’s international student population has surged by nearly 15%, from 208,962 in April last year to 275,580 in May this year, as per Ministry of Justice data, with international students now making up over 20% of enrolments at 12 universities nationwide.

Moreover, a Korea Federation of SMEs (KBIZ) survey of 805 international students found that over 90% hope to stay and work in Korea after completing their studies.

“International students can add value in sectors where global connections are essential. Industries such as international trade, entertainment, and healthcare stand out,” said Jeesuk Kang, a higher education expert in Korea and director of academic relations at ETS.

But while opportunities exist and interest in working in Korea is high, the KBIZ survey found that two-thirds (66.7%) of international students said obtaining an E-7, or Specially Designated Activities visa, was difficult, limiting their access to career opportunities.

While the E-9 visa offers an easier pathway for low-to-medium-skilled international workers, securing an E-7 visa, for professionals in fields like IT, engineering, design, education, entertainment, research, and trade, and dependent on Korean employer sponsorship, remains far more complicated, with Konduskar noting that “many employers are either unaware of the process or reluctant to take on the perceived ‘extra work’ of hiring someone without a permanent visa”.

“Even well-prepared graduates with internships and TOPIK 4–5 often lose opportunities when employers hesitate over the E-7 process, salary floors, or documentation. Students report that offers were rescinded once HR realised the compliance burden,” explained Kyuseok Kim, IES Abroad Seoul’s centre director.

“Many (employers) express willingness to hire foreigners, especially in sectors facing shortages, but execution stalls when HR anticipates communication or cultural issues. International graduates often testify to microaggression and unspoken doubts about whether a “foreigner” can integrate fully into a team,” stated Kim.

Procedural uncertainty only adds to the problem, Kim explained, noting that smaller firms often lack expertise on visa rules, job codes, and wage thresholds, and fear compliance risks, leading them to prefer domestic hires even when international candidates are qualified.

He added that while international students could contribute greatly to high-knowledge sectors like AI, semiconductors, and digital industries, “lingering biases and limited institutional support continue to make firms hesitant to embrace diverse talent”.

With South Korea’s fertility rate at just 0.75, among the world’s lowest, and its working-age population projected to halve by 2070, many young Koreans are shunning sectors like construction, manufacturing, and agriculture, now dominated by migrant labor, in favor of white-collar careers, intensifying competition for both domestic and international graduates.

“Korean graduates are already facing an intense job market, and many employers prefer to hire local candidates because it feels less risky,” noted Konduskar.

“Domestic graduates often get promoted faster because they intuitively understand Korean work culture, while international employees may find themselves stuck unless they constantly prove their value.”

While Kang acknowledged that there are already “more than enough” Korean job seekers in the market, he stressed that expanding internship opportunities for international students is just as crucial as creating pathways to full-time roles.

“First, Korea does not have a specific visa category for internships. Second, international students on student visas face restrictions on the number of hours they can work. During summer or winter breaks, for example, companies may wish to hire international students, but there is no clear visa pathway for this,” stated Kang.

“That said, the industry supporting international students and talent in Korea is developing quickly. Over time, I expect policies and systems to improve, making internships and employment more accessible.”

A silver lining, however, is that organisations like the National Institute for International Education (NIIED) are stepping up, partnering with major job platforms including Saramin, JobKorea, and Wanted Lab to expand access to employment opportunities for international students.

NIIED is also collaborating with at least 11 international student councils across Korea to support student settlement, using them to share information and promote its programs, as reported by The Korea Times.

The measures come as South Korea’s international student dropout rate reached 7.1% and illegal stays 17.6% in 2023 — issues tied to broader systemic gaps, according to Sang-shin.

South Korean universities, which aim to host 300,000 international students by 2027, will also need to take a more proactive role in supporting them, according to Kang.

“To better support international students, universities should consider building dedicated career support units within their international offices. This would require additional resources, but it would send a strong signal of commitment,” Kang stated.

“Another idea is to create a ‘talent book’ that highlights the top 10–20% of international students seeking employment in Korea. Such a book could include their GPA, extracurricular activities, industry interests, and language certifications, and be distributed to major HR departments. This would make it easier for employers to discover qualified international candidates,” he suggested.

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