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Why a Vietnamese student got a job in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang | |||
WRITER | 대외협력과 | WRITE DAY | 2023-08-09 |
COUNT | 413 |
Why a Vietnamese student got a job in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang | |||||
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대외협력과 | ![]() |
2023-08-09 | ![]() |
413 |
A Vietnamese student who achieved her dream of finding job and enjoying country life through PKNU
- Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao from the dept. of business administration, class of '19
△ Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao
An international student from Vietnam draws public attention who was attracted by the Korean wave and decided to study in Korea, achieved both a job and a dream of country life in Korea after graduating from university.
This is a story about Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao (class of '19, dept. of business administration), who graduated from Pukyong National University.
Prior to graduating from Pukyong National University in February this year, Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, who had already been employed at a company in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang, and became a new employee, was recently introduced in a newspaper, and attracts public attention.
In an article last June, <Hankook Ilbo> introduced Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, a woman in her 20s who settled in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang, the oldest local government in Korea. She was introduced in the article as an example of a national debate on settlement immigration as an alternative to the domestic population shortage that emerged as a social problem.
The article introduced, "Thao came to Korea 6 years ago, admiring the Korean wave, and majored in business administration at Pukyong National University. Then, she discovered the charm of Uiseong-gun, which she visited by chance, and decided to make this place her 'second home'."
What was her special story of studying in Busan, Korea and getting a job in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang? Pukyong National University requested an interview in writing to find out the story and the secret of her job success.
Everyone knows that Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao successfully settled down in Korea with a job, but it is thanks to steady activities that are not easy for everyone to put into practice.
Her campus life was based on studying her major and was fully filled with acquiring language proficiency and other qualifications and participating in external activities and employment supporting programs.
She said, "From my freshman year, I heard about the successful employment of older classmates in the department of business administration and started preparing for employment early on. I attended lectures and programs related to employment and promoted Busan by working as a reporter for the Busan tourism organization and the Korea tourism organization. During my freshman and sophomore years, I also worked as a freelance interpreter and translator."
She added, "In my 3rd year, I participated in a job fair for international students with the support from the university, worked as an intern at an IT company for 6 months, and started job hunting in earnest when I entered the 4th year, so I was able to get a job 6 months before the graduation semester."
The place where she worked is the largest garlic product manufacturer in Uiseong-gun, North Gyeongsang. Using her major knowledge in accounting, she oversees accounting at the company. While preparing for a job, she passed the interview process at a company in Busan, but she chose Uiseong.
She explained the reason for choosing Uiseong, not Busan, where she had enjoyed her campus life, "Since I'm still young, I thought I wanted to visit various places in Korea. Also, I think the countryside is cozier to live in than Seoul or big cities." In the <Hankook Ilbo> article, she said, "I was attracted to Uiseong because it reminded me of the scenery of my hometown, Halong Bay in Vietnam, where I used to farm tomatoes with my family."
Of course, finding a job was never easy for international students. This is because international students must also meet the visa issuance requirements to get a job and settle in Korea.
Just in time, the government promoted a pilot project for 'specialized visas for low-population areas', and she was able to obtain a visa without much difficulty using this policy. This visa is a system in which a residence visa (F-2) and a visa for overseas Korean (F-4) are issued in advance to foreigners who are obligated to live in depopulated areas for a certain period and get a job. In Uiseong-gun, she was the first to obtain this visa.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao said, "I am learning a lot about my job from my colleagues at the company. I feel really lucky to work with great people."
Now, she plans to get a permanent residence card (F-5) and settle down in Korea. If she gets a resident visa (F-2) and stays in the area for more than 5 years, she can obtain a permanent residency.
She expressed her gratitude for the university in a written interview. She said, "During the job hunting, I received a lot of support and encouragement from my professors, and I will always keep fond memories of them. I want to express my sincere gratitude to Pukyong National University for supporting good educational facilities, scholarships, and employment programs for both international students and all students." <Pukyong Today>