High satisfaction among Busan companies hiring international students, survey finds
Published: 16 Jan. 2025, 15:59
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- LEE TAE-HEE
- [email protected]
![A job seeker looks through a list of hiring companies at the Job Fair for International Students hosted in Busan on Sept. 27, 2024. [SONG BONG-GEUN]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/16/faaff0a5-3b7c-494a-91ba-e12e2fbb4d19.jpg)
A job seeker looks through a list of hiring companies at the Job Fair for International Students hosted in Busan on Sept. 27, 2024. [SONG BONG-GEUN]
Although a small number of Busan companies have hired international students in the past, nearly all of those that did reported high satisfaction.
According to a survey of 503 Busan-based companies conducted by the Busan Chamber of Commerce & Industry and announced Thursday, 13.5 percent said they had hired international students in the past.
Among these students, 63.9 percent were employed using the E-7 visa, while 36.1 percent were hired as part-time employees.
Of the companies that hired international students, 91.2 percent expressed satisfaction with their productivity and performance.
More companies showed interest in hiring international students in the future, with 25.6 percent of respondents saying they were willing to do so.
Companies also expressed a preference for international students who have attended universities in Korea, with 35.3 percent citing their higher professional skills compared to other workers holding the E-9 visa.
Another 27.9 percent of respondents valued international students for their productivity, 16.2 percent for their Korean language skills and 7.4 percent for their adaptability.
Regarding educational qualifications, 60.6 percent of surveyed companies said they preferred candidates with an associate's degree or higher, followed by those with a bachelor's degree or higher at 37.2 percent and those with a master's degree or higher at 2.2 percent.
When evaluating job applicants, 30 percent of companies said they prioritized work attitude. Korean proficiency ranked second at 20.3 percent, followed by job proficiency and work experience at 17.9 percent, adaptability to Korean culture at 11.6 percent and English proficiency at 9.4 percent.
The manufacturing and production sectors showed the greatest demand for international students, with 64.2 percent of respondents indicating a need in these fields. Administrative roles followed at 11.5 percent, logistics and transport at 10.3 percent, sales and marketing at 8.9 percent and research and development at 2.2 percent.
"With more positions now requiring professional skills — such as those involving the implementation of smart factory systems in production — we need to update the permitted work areas for E-7 visa holders," said a spokesperson for the Busan Chamber of Commerce & Industry. "We should utilize the region-specific visa that Busan is planning to implement to improve working and living conditions, addressing labor shortages in the process."
BY LEE TAE-HEE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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