The government of South Korea has introduced new measures aimed at facilitating international students which will be effective from today, July 3. The authorities have increased the working hour cap for international students.
According to new policies announced by the Ministry of Justice, the working hours for international students in undergraduate programs or those pursuing associate degrees will increase from the current cap of 20 hours to 25 hours per week.
Moreover, students who demonstrate a high level of Korean speaking proficiency will be permitted to work extra hours per week and those who are enrolled outside of major cities will be allowed to work up to 30 hours per week.
How will this help Indian Students?
The biggest relief students see is the opportunity to earn extra money while studying in Seoul in Korea, where the cost of living is extremely high. Sameed Sami, an Indian student in Seoul, works three jobs — both on- and off-campus — so he can sustain in South Korea. He said on two occasions, her jobs had issues scheduling her shifts due to the previous limitation.
Sameed also expressed dissatisfaction with the city's high cost of living, “The food and housing are very expensive in Seoul, and you also need to take public transportation more often," he said. "I always feel like I am broke.”
Manisha Yadav, another Indian student at Daegu University in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang, echoed Sameed’s sentiment.
“It is tempting to overwork herself because her income is insufficient to cover her expenses. But she admits the 20-hour limit prevented her from working too much and instead focused on her education.”
“I am afraid that I am dedicating all my free time to work, which is not why I came here. I want to experience university as a regular student, explore myself and not be working all the time,” said Manisha.
Due to her commitments to work and school, Manisha sometimes experiences burnout. The best advice she gives to other students is to practice self-care and have a day of the week for themselves.
Another former Indian student Swarnim Singh who currently working in Korea says the situation in Korea was different before COVID.
"Earlier, a basic meal would typically range from 5,000 to 7,000 Korean won unless one opted for a luxurious dining experience. However, in the post-COVID era, the standard of living has skyrocketed, resulting in a surge in overall expenses. The very same meal now costs between 8,000 and 10,000 Korean won."
Swarnim believes that allowing students to work longer hours could help them reduce their financial obligations, but it would still be insufficient for those who need to finance school costs and live in Korea. "Unfortunately, the increase in daily wages has been modest, rising from 7,530 Korean won when I was a student in 2018 to 9,620 Korean won now."
Additional policy changes:
The government has also announced changes to the application process for student visas. International students will now need less money for their student visas, and visa payments will be calculated in the local currency, South Korean Won, rather than US dollars.
On the other hand, in order to be eligible to work in South Korea during their studies, foreign students are also needed to demonstrate that they have sufficient Korean language skills.
Previously, they could only do so through the Korean Language Proficiency Test, but the Ministry has expanded the eligible tests now to include the online King Sejong Institute level test as well as the Korean Language Ability Test.
The Ministry of Justice (commonly known as the Korean Immigration Service) has announced a relaxation of rules for students who seek to stay and work in South Korea after graduation. The number of years in Korea required for a longer-term E-7-4 visa has been reduced from five to four years as a result of these reforms, and hiring restrictions on foreign workers have now also been eased for Korean employers.
Rohidas Arote, Associate Professor at Seoul National University says, “This increase of the working hour limit benefits not only the economy, but also these students. Students could ease their financial burden which is crucial for international students who are grappling with the cost of living crisis and tuition fees.”
Rohidas also mentioned that students struggled with time management and tended to “work more” when permitted. He said “overworking” had been “a major problem for students focusing on earning money until their exams approached.
Estimates have confirmed that South Korean higher education institutions witnessed a record influx of nearly 167,000 international students last year, the highest since 2013 when approximately 86,000 international students arrived in the country for academic degrees.
