KOREAN NET

A study conducted by the Korea Tourism Organization has found that foreign nationals chose Korea to go on working holiday because of their positive perception of the nation. (iclickart) *[Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution of the above photo is strictly prohibited under copyright laws and regulations.]

By Kim Hyelin

A survey has found that foreign nationals choose Korea as a working holiday destination because of their positive perception of the country.

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) on Sept. 25 said this in a report on why people choose the country to go on a working holiday based on an analysis of related conditions.

The top reason for choosing Korea was a positive perception of the nation with 15.4%, followed by the chance to experience Korean culture like Hallyu (Korean Wave) with 12.1% and public safety for expats 9.2%.

Most who went on a working holiday in Korea spent three to six months (60.7%), and the most common planned period of stay was six to nine months (46.2%).

In addition, 43.3% said they experienced domestic travel during their sojourn, or an average of 5.64 trips.

From 2005 through last year, most people on the working holiday visa (H-1) in Korea were from Japan (34,656), followed by those from Taiwan (10,721), France (8,491), Hong Kong (4,609) and Germany (3,174).

The number of French going on a working holiday in Korea skyrocketed from 74 in 2009 to 2,070 last year, reflecting Korea's surging popularity in France.

For this study, the KTO from May 2-14 held online surveys and interviews with some 300 foreign nationals who live in Korea or previously did on a working holiday visa.

Based on bilateral agreements with other nations, the program allows youth to live and work in a country for a designated period to pay for travel expenses. Korea has working holiday and youth exchange accords with 25 states including Australia, Canada and Japan.

kimhyelin211@korea.kr