South Korean education is developing and growing in a sustainable way. Therefore, studying in South Korea is the choice of many young Vietnamese. However, for students to have job opportunities in Korea, it is necessary to promote educational ties and cooperation between the two countries.

According to the Immigration Department (Ministry of Justice of Korea), by the end of January 2023, more than 205,000 foreign students arrived in South Korea, an increase of nearly 8,000 compared to 2022.

Representatives of Vietnamese universities and South Korean businesses signed cooperation agreement. Photo: Ngo Minh/The Hanoi Times

Of these, about 70,200 people were Vietnamese students, making them the number one international students in Korea from 2021 to the present.

According to the Times Higher Education university ranking organization, tuition fees in Korea are about KRW8-13 million (US$6,000-9,700), and rent and living expenses are about US$4,100-5,300 per year.

International undergraduate students are allowed to work 20 hours/week, while graduate students are allowed to work 30 hours/week. The number of hours worked per week is unlimited if students work part-time during vacations.

Recently, the conference "Cooperation in Fostering Talents, Scholarship Programs, and Job Opportunities for Vietnamese Students in South Korea" was held this week to explore ways to foster talents and strengthen educational cooperation between Vietnam and South Korea.

According to Kim Sangyong, chairman of SOiVA (global service-oriented interactive video applications), students will have more opportunities to apply for jobs and receive scholarships if they participate and become a factor in the digital transformation process.

"Korea is currently experiencing a labor shortage. By using SoiVa's platform, data will be shared with Korean and Vietnamese agencies and companies so that talents, students and trainees can find their chance to study and work in South Korea," said Kim Sangyong.

Lee Jong GiL, Chairman of Haneoullim Co.Ltd, said that the Vietnamese government has just issued a regulation to extend the visa validity for foreigners coming to Vietnam from 30 days to 90 days. This will not only help Korean companies to have more time to develop business cooperation opportunities but also to find talents and provide scholarships to suitable students.

Nguyen Ngoc Hien, Rector of Ho Chi Minh City College of Technology, said that the conference is a forum to discuss opportunities, cooperation plans, scholarship programs, and job opportunities for Vietnamese students in Korea.

At the conference, representatives from Vietnamese universities and South Korean enterprises signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation in helping Vietnamese students find scholarships and jobs in South Korea.