Chungbuk National University Hosts Job Fair for International Students
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups, together with the Ministry of Education and Chungcheongbuk-do, will hold the ‘Chungcheongbuk-do Foreign Student Employment Fair’ at Chungbuk National University on the 31st.
In August last year, the Ministry of Education established the 'Study Korea 300K Project' to enhance the competitiveness of international student education. As a result of efforts by the government, local governments, and universities to attract students, the number of international students in Korea has increased, with approximately 200,000 foreign students studying in the country as of 2024.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups is working with related ministries to develop measures to expand the hiring of international students by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to implement various policy tasks to overcome regional extinction caused by population decline and to resolve labor shortages in local companies.
The foreign student employment fair is a project jointly promoted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Ministry of Education for the first time this year to help foreign students find employment and settle in local companies. Five local governments participating in the pilot operation of the Regional Innovation-Centered University Support System (RISE) are involved, and the fair has been held in four regions including Jeonbuk so far.
At this fair held in Chungbuk, about 500 foreign students from local universities and approximately 50 companies in Chungbuk that can issue region-specific visas (F-2-R) and professional manpower visas (E-7) will participate. This is the largest scale among the fairs held so far, and it is expected to provide various employment opportunities to foreign students in the region.
At the fair, consultations with local companies and job interviews for international students will take place. To ensure that foreign students have no inconvenience in preparing for employment in Korea, employment preparation consultations (consulting) such as interview techniques and resume writing, as well as visa consultations by the Ministry of Justice’s Immigration and Foreigners Office, will also be provided.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Ministry of Education will establish an online support system to continuously support the employment of foreign students even after the fair. The ‘Korea Study Abroad Comprehensive System,’ which provides comprehensive information related to study abroad life from the study stage to scholarships, will strengthen the provision of various employment information and counseling services by linking with public and private recruitment platforms.
In addition, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups will newly establish a ‘Foreign Student Exclusive Recruitment Matching Platform’ and link it with the Korea Study Abroad Comprehensive System. Through the platform, students will be able to create online resumes, view job postings from companies hiring international students, and receive AI-based matching recommendations. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to promote the platform and operate an experience center targeting students at this fair.
Minister Oh Young-joo of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups emphasized, “In the face of the crisis of regional extinction, the inflow of excellent foreign talent into local companies will help solve the labor shortage problem of companies,” and added, “We will actively support cooperation with the Ministry of Education, universities, and local governments so that outstanding international students can find employment and settle in local companies.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho stated, “This year, the number of foreign students surpassed 200,000 for the first time, and for these students to become members of our society after graduation, careful support from local communities and society is necessary,” adding, “We will prepare and implement multifaceted policies together with local governments and universities so that excellent overseas talents can come to Korea to study and settle in the regions.”
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