North Chungcheong to offer scholarships to int'l students to fight labor shortage

Kim Young-hwan, governor of North Chungcheong, explains the province's plans to attract international students during a press conference on Wednesday. [NORTH CHUNGCHEONG PROVINCIAL OFFICE]

North Chungcheong will invite international students to study in areas where it faces a labor shortage, promising E-7 visas and an exemption from submitting proof of bank balances when entering Korea.

The province announced Wednesday it will work with Chungbuk Health & Science University to offer education in the core manufacturing industries for international students. The university will also offer necessary career training.

Core manufacturing industries refer to areas such as metal casting, welding and heat treatment.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy selected the university on Thursday as a school specializing in training talent for the core manufacturing industries.

This will allow students enrolled in related programs to acquire an E-7 visa after graduation.

In addition to students studying at Chungbuk Health & Science University, North Chungcheong said it aims to invite more international students by offering scholarships funded by local businesses.

Candidates will be recommended by Korean Education Centers abroad and will need to have Topik level 4 or above.

Although student visa applicants in universities outside greater Seoul need to prove they have a minimum bank balance of 16 million won ($12,180) for the D-2 visa and 8 million won for the D-4 visa, the province says the scholarship recipients will be exempt from such requirements.

According to the Ministry of Justice, only Global Korea Scholarship recipients, those slated to receive a full scholarship from their university, or fully funded students from embassies abroad, can be exempt from the requirement.

The scholarship promised by the province will be funded by local businesses and thus not eligible for the exemption, but North Chungcheong says there is a way to make it possible.

Businesses that partner with the province will donate money to universities in North Chungcheong, and the universities will use the donated money as scholarships for international students.

This means those who receive the scholarships will be eligible for exemption from the bank balance submission requirement.

"There are cases of students who were exempt from the bank balance requirement through such method, and we also checked with embassies abroad and were told that it is possible," a spokesperson for North Chungcheong said on Thursday.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]