The Ministry of Justice on Feb. 6 said that to develop outstanding foreign workers, its pilot "specialized technical department for development" will be set up at 16 domestic vocational colleges. (iClickArt) (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution of this image is prohibited under copyright law.)

By Lee Jihae

A government initiative seeks to train foreign personnel in technology at domestic vocational schools.

The Ministry of Justice on Feb. 6 said that to systematically develop international students with high fluency in Korean and mid- to advanced technical expertise required at small and medium enterprises, it launched a "department for specialized technical development" at 16 vocational colleges nationwide.

This measure seeks a shift from the recruitment of foreign workers for simple labor from abroad toward the use of such schools to churn out outstanding talent who can stably settle in Korea and earn adequate wages.

Students with a score of Level 3 or higher on the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), a requirement to enter the program, will be exempt from the financial condition to qualify for the D-2 (student) visa if they enroll in the program. Without this exemption, a foreign student needs KRW 20 million if attending a school in the Greater Seoul area (Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi-do Province) and KRW 16 million if going to one outside of the capital region.

A student in the program can work part time for up to 35 hours a week, up from 30.

If a foreign graduate of the program signs an employment contract with a company for a job relevant to his or her major for a reasonable wage (starting annual salary of KRW 26 million) and completes the fourth level of the Korea Immigration and Integration Program (or scores at Level 5 on TOPIK), he or she can receive the new K-CORE (K-College to Regional Employment) visa, which is equivalent to the E-7-M visa.

Those who work at least five years with the K-CORE (E-7-M) visa or stay at the same company in an area at risk of depopulation for at least three years can apply for the F-2 resident visa.

The table below lists each of the 16 vocational colleges with the new department.