Education Ministry to host job fairs for international students outside Seoul

The Ministry of Education announced Wednesday that it would hold a series of job fairs for international students outside greater Seoul, starting with North Jeolla.

A poster for the job fair for international students that will be held at Jeonju University [MINISTRY OF EDUCATION]

The Ministry of Education announced Wednesday that it would hold a series of job fairs for international students outside greater Seoul, starting with North Jeolla.

The Education Ministry will hold a job fair for international students at Jeonju University's Star Center in Jeonju, North Jeolla, on Thursday.

A total of 26 local companies will be attending the job fair to hold interviews and hire international students.

Of these, 12 companies are opening a total of 38 positions that can sponsor the E-7 visa. Another 14 companies are opening a total of 46 positions that can sponsor the F-2-R visa.

Recruiting companies and available positions can be found on the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency website. Those who wish to attend can register via the agency's website.

The Jeonju Immigration Office will be attending the job fair to offer visa consultations. A talk session with Global Korea Scholarship alumni will also be held, offering resume writing advice and interview tips to job seekers.

The Education Ministry is planning to hold additional job fairs for international students in four more provinces this year.

The job fair in North Gyeongsang will be held at Kyungil University on Aug. 28, South Jeolla's will be held at Mokpo National University on Sept. 12, Busan's will be held at Kyungsung University on Sept. 27 and North Chungcheong's will be held at Chungbuk National University on Oct. 31.

The provinces were chosen from seven local governments that are part of the Regional Innovation System & Education initiative.

Students who wish to attend the remaining four job fairs will be able to sign up later when announcements are made.

"Many regions are seeing a population decline, and the government, local provinces and companies all need to work together to create a virtuous cycle where international students come to study, get a job and settle down," said Park Sung-min, head of the ministry's Office of Planning and Coordination. "We plan to connect international students to career-building programs or internships at companies in the region, encouraging the students to stay in Korea."

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]