Korean Job Discussion Forums

Real Reality · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

Does the Korean government, companies and universities want foreigners to stay for a long time in Korea? Do Korean authorities only want visitors and tourists?

Korean-Americans own and operate 135,571 businesses across the United States that have gross sales and receipts of $46,000,000,000 and employ 333,649 individuals with an annual payroll of $5,800,000,000.
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/diversity/t092502.htm

How many foreigners that have permanently moved to Korea own and operate businesses in Korea? How many Canadians that have permanently moved to Korea own and operate businesses in Korea? How many Americans that have permanently moved to Korea own and operate businesses in Korea?

Wangja · Joined: 17 May 2004 Location: Seoul, Yongsan

Count me as one .... I believe there may be others ...

kiwiboy_nz_99 · Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Location: ...Enlightenment...

What's your business Wangja?

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

Dispatched · Joined: 08 May 2004

Interesting questions, I've meet a couple of wae-gooks that have started their own businesses, didn't seem overly difficult for them to get them up and running.

To answer your questions, 'Does the Korean government, companies and universities want foreigners to stay for a long time in Korea?', probably not, but why would they? This is their country, they seem to like it so why would they want other cultures coming in and changing things.

If you are infact asking why there are so few foriegn run companies maybe it's because the Korean economy is so unstable that you take a hell off a risk investing here, maybe the only foriegners here are recent(ish) graduates who don't have the skill or knowledge to start a fledgling business. Maybe the market is so saturated with educated minds already that there is no place for more foreigners unless you have specialty skills in which case why are you using them here???

ps. rapier that's one tasty avatar you have there!

Universalis · Joined: 17 Nov 2003 Location: Seoul

Count me as another foreigner who started a business here (George from Hubble Bubble is another).

I agree with Rapier's comments... foreigners in Korea are expected to play out certain roles: the tourist, the ESL teacher, the high-level business man who swooped in for a week to sign a huge contract with a local company, etc. When someone like myself escapes this "box" many Koreans will find themselves struggling to make sense of this foreigner tha tdoesn't fit their expectations.

I've accepted this, and it's one of the reasons why I want to pull up stakes and move back to the states.

Brian

ThePoet · Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2004 4:34 pm Post subject:

On my first trip to Seoul this weekend, my friends and I went to Itaewon and after a while we wanted to have a drink. We noticed this bar with a terrace wayyyyy up on the 7th floor of a building and decided to go up. The owner is American and he is a really great guy to talk to. He has been in Korea 11 years, he has a TV show of his own, and he has truly carved a niche for himself. I consider him to be very successful and he has his head screwed on right.

He has me believing that there are opportunities for those who do their homework about what you must do and how to do it in Korea. A true waygook success story.

Wangja · Joined: 17 May 2004 Location: Seoul, Yongsan

kiwiboy - I operate as an independent consultant in contractual disputes on large international projects. I have a D8 visa (I posted elsewhere about that).

rapier - I qualify on all the points you raise but am happy to say I have not had any of the problems you mention, but I can see that it could be so. FWIW, I have struggled hard to learn Korean and this does help, even at my "beginner" level.

Generally, I would say that the formalities were not that arduous and when in government offices, I was warmly welcomed as a foreign investor.