The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) announced Wednesday that it will expand its "Full-Cycle Settlement Support Program for Overseas Research Talent" to help foreign researchers who have entered Korea's research workforce settle stably and focus on their work.
MSIT will provide support in three broad areas: △daily life assistance, △career growth and networking support, and △improved access to settlement information. Starting this year, the program's coverage will extend to leading science and engineering universities (those selected for the K-Star visa program). Last year, support was offered on a pilot basis, centered mainly on the four major science and technology institutes and government-funded research institutes.
Daily life assistance will expand one-on-one expert consulting on administrative difficulties such as visas, taxes and real estate. Notably, starting this year, a new "psychological counseling program for current employees" will be introduced to carefully address the stress arising from unfamiliar cultures and environments.
The program will also provide domestic networking support for foreign talent who have earned master's or doctoral degrees in Korea. A new "career-building internship" will be established so that these individuals can remain in Korea and continue their careers after completing their studies, and networking opportunities between Korean and foreign researchers will also be broadened.
In the second half of this year, access to settlement information will also improve. A dedicated "settlement support platform" will be built to allow researchers to view settlement information — currently scattered across multiple sources — at a glance and share information with one another, narrowing the information gap for foreign researchers.
