Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

People Leaving Korea Outnumber Arrivals
Including foreigners, the number of people who left the country for a long-term stay stood at 483,000. They outnumbered Koreans and foreigners who came to stay -- 444,000 -- reducing the population by 39,000. Most went to the U.S., which drew 26.6 percent or 89,000, followed by China (19.6 percent), Japan (12.0 percent), Canada (8.7 percent), and Australia (5.5 percent).
Chosun Ilbo (September 22, 2005)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200509/200509220019.html

[weatherman]

THe key here is long terms stays. People aren't immigrating these days in the numbers that they used too. That is a good thing, but with a more interconnected world, people do make long term stays. I would say that 98% of us ESLers are in this number. But it is also an economic thing too, those heading out long term from Korea to overseas, have some means back in the homeland.

[Neil]

Wouldn't net immigration be good for foreigners as it would mean they would rely on incoming labour more?

[Cymro]

These figures don't add up! (Do they ever?!)

483,000 left. 26.6% (89,000) were "drawn" to the US?

26% is over a quarter, so should be about 121,000, right?

[mindmetoo]

We get it. Korea wants to be the hub of Asia but it has a long way to go. Right. Keep beating that dead horse, RR. Because preaching to a bunch of converted low status foreigners is going to affect change...

[billybrobby]

who's sock is RR? i'm guessing rapier. he seems bitter enough.


swiss james really riled him up with that hub of asia stuff. haha. poor RR had worked so hard to mock that sentiment and then somebody comes and says "hey, it's not entirely untrue."

[Swiss James]

How anyone can read a report about Koreans going abroad to sightsee or study and then say
"See! I told you Korea isn't a regional hub!!"
is totally beyond me.

If he wanted to beat that particular dead horse I think this article would have done a much better job

Korea Rated Least Likely Asian Financial Hub
But then that would involve understanding the concept of a "hub"

[lastat06513]

Hub= the center of something.
Hubcap= the center of a wheel on a vehicle.

Korea= Hubcap

The more Korea strives to be the "hub" of something, the more it fails. They are trying to improve infrastructure and facilities while introducing better technology. Thats good and all....but...

The one thing Korea lacks is the people skills to welcome foreigners into the country. The society here is too afraid that they would lose their identity if too many foreigners come and open up shop here.

That's why places like Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai all did better, they were willing to open their doors to the international community to make them more competitive, while Korea is afraid of competitiveness.

[Swiss James]

Yeah but geographically Korea is superior in a lot of ways, the air connections are better, you can easily get stuff shipped in by sea from both Japan and China, the government provides a lot of tax breaks to encourage trade etc.

Speaking from the perspective of someone who actually came to Korea as a businessman- I found Koreans incredibly welcoming. All of my co-workers who come here are blown away by the hospitality (the problems come later..)

The level of english spoken here is definitely higher than in Shanghai- haven't done business there yet, but I'm told by colleagues it's all about secret meetings in the backrooms of tea houses- our english company got precisely nowhere in China until we employed someone who was an expert in the wheeling and dealing that goes on there (the Korean contract was much more straightforward).

Singapore and Hong Kong? No clue- maybe you've tried to set up businesses there?

[mindmetoo]