Survey on the Current Status of International Students‘ Welfare  in South Korea

The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA), a government-funded research institute under the Prime Minister’s Office, conducts this survey in order to comprehend the economic activities, income, housing, health, and life of international students in Korea. This survey targets international students currently studying in South Korea (hereafter Korea).

All the information about you will be kept confidential in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act and Articles 33 and 34 of the Statistics Act. Your data will be used only for statistical purposes.

Your responses are crucial in making policies related to international students in the future. Your honest and accurate responses will be deeply appreciated.

May 2021

Lee Tae-soo, President, KIHASA

Principal Investigator: Kwak Yoon-kyung, Associate Research Fellow

※ If you have any questions regarding this survey, please contact us at the following numbers:

▶ Research Agency:

▶ Researchers in charge: Lee Byeong-jae, Researcher, KIHASA (044-287-8185); Kwak Yoon-kyung,

Associate Research Fellow, KIHASA (044-287-8323)

※ All responses and personal information will be processed anonymously and only for statistical analyses.

Survey on the Welfare of International Students in Korea

※ The following information about the respondent is used only for double-checking the responses if necessary.

Respondent‘s name				Tel
E-mail
※ Interviewer’s name	※ Interviewer’s ID		※ Reviewer 1		※ Reviewer 2		Date & time of interview

※ Items marked with * will be filled in by the research agency.

A. Information about respondent

1. Respondent’s ID					6. Duration of stay	( )year(s) ( )month(s)
2. Gender	① Male		② Female		7. Place of residence	①Seoul ②Gyeonggi-do ③metropolitan cities ④Other cities/provinces
3. Date of birth					8. University location	①Seoul ②Gyeonggi-do ③Busan ④Dae-jeon ⑤Chungnam ⑥Jeonbuk
4. Nationality	①China ②Vietnam ③Other Asian countries ( ) ④ Others ☞ 중단				9. Degree program	①(Associate degree)BA/BS ②MA/MS ③Ph.D.
5. Year of First Entry					10. Major	①Liberal arts ②Social sciences ③Natural sciences ④Entertainment & sports ⑤Medicine & Pharmacy ⑥Others

〈 Notes 〉

※ Those who entered Korean universities in 2021 are excluded.

※ Metropolitan cities consist of Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju, Ulsan, Sejong. Other cities/provinces consist of Gangwon,
Chungbuk/Chungnam, Jeonbuk/Jeonnam, Gyeongnam/Gyeongbuk, and Jeju.

B. Studying in Korea

11. Why did you come to study in Korea? Please choose two of the following in the order of importance.

First		Second

＿① To obtain better employment opportunities

＿② To gain diverse academic experiences

＿③ To be friends with people with various backgrounds

＿④ To learn Korean

＿⑤ To learn more about Korean culture (influenced by  the Korean Wave (Hallyu)

＿⑥ Others: ______________________________

12. What are the major difficulties you face in your daily (or academic) life in Korea? Please choose two of the following in the order of difficulty.

First		Second

① Maintaining good grades and learning Korean

② Visa issues (complicated paperwork for visa extension, visa service agency not available on campus)

③ Financial difficulties related to tuition or/and living expenses

④ Problems in interpersonal relationships (discrimination, prejudice, being bullied.)

⑤ Loneliness, homesickness

⑥ Poor health, disease

⑦ Housing (difficulties in finding a place to stay, housing costs, unfavorable conditions for foreigners)

⑧ Adapting to the Korean way of life (communication, food, cultural differences)

⑨ Others: ______________________________

13. What kind of support do you want the most? Please choose two of the following in the order of necessity.

First		Second

① academic support (e.g., learning Korean and gaining knowledge related to my major)

② Financial support (e.g., scholarships)

③ Employment support (e.g., part-time, work opportunities)

④ Housing support (e.g., dormitories)

⑤ Medical support for physical health

⑥ Counseling services for mental health

⑦ Community support for international student clubs

⑧ Agency services for immigration and relevant paperwork

⑨ Others: ______________________________

14. How satisfied are you with your life in Korea?

＿① Very dissatisfied	＿② Mostly dissatisfied	＿③ Neutral	＿④ Mostly satisfied	＿⑤ Very satisfied

15. What is your plan after graduation?

＿① Stay in Korea	☞ To Question 15-1

＿② Go back home	☞ To Question 15-2

＿③ Leave for a third country	☞ To ‘C. Economic Activities’

15-1. What do you plan to do in Korea?

＿① Find a job (job-seeking activities)

＿② Continue studying (e.g. proceed to a higher-level academic institution, changing major, etc..)

＿③ Others: ______________________________

15-2. Why do you want to go back home? Please choose two of the following in the order of importance.

First		Second

① Better employment opportunities in my home country

② Difficult to find a job in Korea

③ Difficulties in changing and extending visas in Korea

④ Better living conditions in my home country

⑤ To use my skills and knowledge that I gained here in my home country

⑥ To continue to study in my home country

⑦ To be with my family, relatives, and friends

⑧ Discrimination was severe in Korea

⑨ I am tired of living abroad.

⑩ Others: ______________________________

C. Economic Activities

16. Have you ever worked full-time or part-time in Korea in the past year? (an hour or longer a week including experience in working as a student assistant at a university?

＿① No	☞ To Question 16-1

＿② During vacation and semesters	☞ To Question 16-2

＿③ Only during vacations	☞ To Question 16-2

＿④ Only during semesters	☞ To Question 16-2

16-1. What was the major reason for not having any work experience, including part-time?

＿① I was fine financially.

＿② I was busy studying

＿③ I did not succeed in finding a job.

＿④ I did not even try to find a job because it would be difficult.

＿⑤ My parents did not want me to find a job.

＿⑥ I could not obtain the permission from the immigration office.

＿⑦ I was misinformed that international students are not allowed to work.

＿⑧ Others: _________________________

☞ To Question 19

16-2. For how many months have you worked full-time or part-time in the most recent year?

□□□months

☞ To Question 17

※ Questions 17 and 18 are only for those who have ever worked full-time or part-time in Korea.

※ Those without work experience can go to Question 19.

17. Have you ever experienced any of the following at work?

Items	Yes	No
Injuries	①	②
Heavy workload	①	②
Disrespect (emotional abuse)	①	②
Dismissal	①	②
Discrimination against foreigners	①	②
Late payment of (partial or full) wages	①	②
Non-payment of (partial or full) wages	①	②

18. How satisfied are you with the job(s) you have had?

＿① Very dissatisfied	＿② Mostly dissatisfied	＿③ Neutral	＿④ Mostly satisfied	＿⑤ Very satisfied

※ Questions 19 to 21 are for all respondents regardless of their work experience.

19. What difficulties do you think international students experience in the process of seeking a job?
Please choose two of the following in the order of importance.

First		Second

＿① Lack of information about employment opportunities

＿② Problems related to my Korean skills

＿③ Hesitance to employ foreigners or discrimination against foreigners

＿④ Few employment opportunities related to my major

＿⑤ Low wages

＿⑥ Poor work environment

＿⑦ Complicated paperwork and procedure

＿⑧ Others: _________________________

20. What was the major problem related to employment opportunities for international students? Please choose two of the following in the order of importance.

First		Second

① Discrimination against foreigners

② Few employment opportunities with poor wages

③ Few employment opportunities with working conditions that fit my schedule (e.g. working hours and commuting time)

④ I am not ready to apply for jobs that I want (preparation time, qualifications, etc.)

⑤ Discrimination based on age, gender, and level of education

⑥ Lack of job information related to employment opportunities

⑦ Others: _________________________

21. International students with a student visa must report to the immigration office of their intent to work part-time after they are confirmed with the international student coordinator.  Were you aware of this at the time of your employment?

＿① Yes

＿② No

D. Income and Living Expenses

i

22. How much money did you estimate for tuition and living, and how much did you actually spend in the last semester (6 months) ?

Tuition (including scholarships)*	Estimate living expenses (including scholarships)	Actual living expenses (including scholarships)
KRW□□□□0,000	KRW□□□□0,000	KRW□□□□0,000

* Suppose that your tuition was 10 million won and you received a scholarship of 5 million won. We still ask you to write 10 million in the blank for tuition.

23. Please indicate the source(s) of the money that you spent for tuition and living expenses in percentage. (%)

Ways to pay tuition and living expenses	Percentage
Parents or other family members	____%
Personal savings	____%
Earned income in Korea	____%
Scholarships	____%
Others	____%
Total	100%

〈 Notes 〉

※ Earned income includes earnings from assistantship and part-time jobs.

※ Scholarships include those from universities and external organizations.

24. Were there any circumstances where you did not have enough money for living expenses over the last year??

＿① No	☞ To ’E. Housing‘

＿② Yes	☞ To Question 24-1

24-1. What did you do when you did not have enough money for living expenses? Please choose two of the following in the order of relevance.

First		Second

＿① reduced spending on food

＿② reduced living expenses except for expenses for food

＿③ received money from family members

＿④ Borrowed money from friends or acquaintances

＿⑤ Found a job or worked more (or longer)

＿⑥ Applied for scholarships

＿⑦ Used my own savings

＿⑧ Others: ____________________

E. Housing

25. What is your current type of housing?

＿① Dormitory	☞ To Question 26

＿② Jeonse (long-term lease with a security deposit)

＿③ Monthly lease with a security deposit

＿④ Monthly lease without a security deposit

＿⑤ My own house

＿⑥ Others or no idea

25-1. Why did you decide not to live in a dormitory?

＿① I applied but was not assigned a room

＿② My current housing is cheaper than a dormitory

＿③ I did not like the facilities

＿④ The rules of dormitories are too strict

＿⑤ Others: _________________________

25-2. What was the source of the information about your current housing?

＿① University	＿② Acquaintances including friends

＿③ Realtor	＿④ Online community

＿⑤ Real estate mobile apps or websites	＿⑥ Others: _________________________

25-3. What was the major obstacle in the process of house-hunting?

＿① Not having enough money for security deposit	＿② Lack of information

＿③ Discrimination from landlords	＿④ Discrimination from realtors

＿⑤ Others: _________________________

26. How much do you spend per semester (six months) for housing? (including monthly rent, utility bills, maintenance costs, etc.)

KRW □□□□0,000

〈 Notes 〉

※ If you use the fund from your scholarship(s) to pay for housing, it is still considered as paying out-of-pocket.

※ Security deposit is now included. Interest is included if you took out a (bank) loan to pay security deposit.

26-1. Was it financially hard to afford living expenses (including monthly rent, utility bills, maintenance costs, etc.) in the past year?

＿① Not hard at all	＿② Not too hard

＿③ Neutral	＿④ A little hard	＿⑤ Very hard

27. How satisfied are you with your current home?

＿① Very dissatisfied	＿② Mostly dissatisfied	＿③ Neutral	＿④ Mostly satisfied	＿⑤ Very satisfied

F. Health

28. How healthy do you feel physically?

＿① Very unhealthy	＿② Somewhat unhealthy	＿③ Neutral

＿④ Somewhat healthy	＿⑤ Very healthy

29. What did you do when you were seriously ill (including catching a cold) or injured in the past year?

＿① I went to a hospital (e.g. clinic, public health center, free clinic for foreigners, etc.) ☞ To Questions 31

＿② I went to a pharmacy without a prescription	☞ To Question 30

＿③ I took medicine brought from my home country	☞ To Question 30

＿④ I simply endured until I recovered	☞ To Question 30

＿⑤ I have never been sick	☞ To Question 33

＿⑥ Others: _________________________	☞ To Question 33

30. What was the main reason for you to be hesitant to go to hospitals? Choose all that apply.

＿① Poor Korean language skills             ＿② No hospital nearby

＿③ High medical costs	＿④ No idea of which hospital to visit

＿⑤ Complex procedures in hospitals	＿⑥ Not enough time

__⑦ Health insurance suspended due to my delayed premium payments

31. How satisfied are you with the healthcare services in Korea ?

＿① Very dissatisfied	＿② Mostly dissatisfied	＿③ Neutral	＿④ Mostly satisfied	＿⑤ Very satisfied

32. What were the major difficulties when you visit healthcare facilities in Korea? Choose all that apply.

＿① Language problems	＿② healthcare facilities far from my area

＿③ High costs	＿④ Complex procedures

＿⑤ Cultural differences in the health care systems

_⑥ Discriminatory attitudes from the healthcare professionals

33. Do you currently have health insurance in Korea?

＿① Yes	☞ To Question 34

＿② No	☞ To Question 33-1

33-1. Why did you not opt in for National Health Insurance?

＿① Insurance premiums are too expensive
__② I was not aware of it
＿③ I did not know how to opt in.
＿④ I have a health insurance coverage from my home country.
＿⑤ I am finishing up my studies in Korea.
__⑥ The registration process is too complicated.
＿⑦ I do not think I will visit hospitals at all.

34. Do you think you need a national health insurance coverage?

＿① Not at all	＿② Not really	＿③ Neutral

＿④ Somewhat	＿⑤ Absolutely

35. As of now, the monthly health insurance premium for international students is KRW 39,540 and is expected to rise up to KRW 52,720 in 2022 and KRW 65,890 in 2023. Do you think that the current and future premiums are affordable?

Monthly insurance premium for foreigners	Monthly insurance premium for international students			Other remarks
	2021 (30%)	2022 (40%)	From 2023 (50%)
KRW 131,790	KRW 39,540	KRW 52,720	KRW 65,890

＿① Very affordable	＿② Mostly affordable	＿③ Neutral

＿④ Somewhat expensive	＿⑤ Too expensive

36. How frequently have you experienced the following over the past week?

		Very rarely (less than one day per week)	Occasionally (one to two days per week)	Often (three to four days per week)	Mostly (five days or more per week)
1)	I have no appetite	①	②	③	④
2)	I was doing relatively well	①	②	③	④
3)	I was depressed	①	②	③	④
4)	everything felt harsh to me	①	②	③	④
5)	I could not sleep well	①	②	③	④
6)	I felt like I was left out alone in the world	①	②	③	④
7)	I did not have particular troubles.	①	②	③	④
8)	People were cold to me	①	②	③	④
9)	I was sad	①	②	③	④
10)	People seem to dislike me	①	②	③	④
11)	I was so lost that I did not know what to do	①	②	③	④

37. Have you ever visited an expert (e.g. a doctor or counselor) for any psychological and mental issues?

＿① Yes	＿② No

38. Who do you talk to when you have consult unexpected difficulties?

① Korean friends

② Other Foreigners or friends from my country

③ Student assistants or professors

④ Departments for international student affairs (e.g., International affairs and counseling centers)

⑤ Family members, relatives, and friends living in my home country

⑥ Embassy

⑦ Others (e.g. civic groups and religious institutions, etc.)

39. How many people do you have who correspond to the following items?

Items	None	1-2	3-4	5-9	10 or more
1) From whom you can borrow a large sum of money in emergency	①	②	③	④	⑤
2) Who can help you when you are too sick to move.	①	②	③	④	⑤
3) Whom you can talk to when you feel depressed or stressed.	①	②	③	④	⑤

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