South Korea’s vibrant culture and high educational standards make it an attractive study-abroad destination among international students. The country offers its students a comprehensive range of study programs, several top universities, and numerous growth opportunities.
Additionally, international students in South Korea have the option to take up part-time job opportunities to help with study expenses, as well as gain practical work experience. This article will brief you on the ways to work while being an international student in South Korea.
Ways to Work While Studying in South Korea
If you are an international student interested in working while managing your studies, here are ways to work while studying in South Korea.
1. On-Campus Part-Time Jobs
Part-time, on-campus employment is a popular and convenient way to work while studying in South Korea, as these jobs come with flexible schedules that can be easily managed. Part-time on-campus jobs offer varying salaries, depending on your job role. However, most of them start with an hourly wage of 10,030 KRW, which is the minimum wage in South Korea in 2025.
Interested applicants may check out their university’s career center or job portal to look up available vacancies. The admissions procedure may involve an application form, resume, and an interview in some cases. It is advised that you apply early, as on-campus jobs are generally in high demand.
2. Retail Industry
International students are offered a variety of employment opportunities in the retail industry, which include work roles like customer service representatives, sales associates, or cashiers in malls, stores, and convenient stores. There are tens of thousands of convenient stores in Korea, and many of these operate 24 hours a day, and because of that, they need a lot of workers. Many international students do work in convenience stores because of many positions available, no need to speak Korean fluently (just enough Korean to understand what the customers want), and work hours being in non-school hours.
Joongang Daily features international students who work part-time in Korea, and one of them, Billgesu Alkan, works as a interactive art exhibition in Seoul as a customer service assistant. There are some jobs like that, and if you have strong Korean and English skills, your chances of getting retail jobs will become higher. For convenience store jobs, no English skiils are needed, just moderate Korean skills.
3. Hospitality / Restaurant Industry
The hospitality industry is also very popular among part-timers in South Korea. Opportunities available in the hospitality industry include roles in restaurants, hotels, or cafes. International students tend to work as a server in restaurants. Some restaurants owners, especially in stores where the server work is difficult like meat-serving restaurants, prefer international students over Korean nationals because Korean nationals tend to quit if the work is hard. In contrast, there are international students who do tend to stay longer term even though the work is difficult.
FAQs About Working While Studying in South Korea
Can You Work in South Korea While on a Student Visa?
Yes, South Korea does allow foreigners with a student visa to work part-time, albeit specific guidelines and restrictions must be followed.
What Industries can International Stuents Work in?
International students can work in translation/Interpretation, restaurants, office assistants, convenient stores, store assistants, tour guides.
What Industries can’t International Stuents Work in?
International students can’t work in private tutoring, manufacturing, construction, delivery worker, and foreign language institutions (hagwons).
How Many Hours can you work per week as a D-2 Student (Korean Language Program Visa)?
D-2 Students can start working after 6 months of arriving in Korea. After 6 months, if they have not gotten TOPIK Level 2, they can work 10 hours per week. If they have gotten TOPIK Level 2, they can work 20 hours per week for non-certified schools and 25 hours per week for certified schools.
How Many Hours can you work per week as a D-4 Undergraduate Student (Regular University Degree)?
D-4 Students can work right after joining the program unlike D-2 students. For year 1-2 students, if they have gotten TOPIK Level 3, they can work 20 hours per week during the weekdays and unlimited number of hours during the weekend. If they have not gotten TOPIK Level 3, then they can work 10 hours per week. Same thing goes for year 3-4, but the requirement is TOPIK Level 4.
How Many Hours can you work per week as a D-4 Graduate Student (Regular University Degree)?
For graduate students, if they have gotten TOPIK Level 4, they can work 30 hours per week during the weekdays and unlimited number of hours during weekends. If they have not gotten TOPIK Level 4, then they can work 15 hours per week.
What is the procedure of working in Korea as an international student?
To work as an international student in Korea, you need to get permission from the international student center in South Korea. After getting permission, you’ll need to prepare the documents such as the job offer, copy of employer’s ID card, and submit them to the nearest immigration office.
How can you find part-time work as an international student?
You can find jobs through your international student support office, LinkedIn, Albamon (알바몬), Alba Chunguk (알바천국), Craigslist, and through word of mouth. Another way is to just go around restaurants in Korea, and if the restaurants are hiring, they will have posters that they are hiring. It is better if you can find posters that say “Waygookin Welcome”, which is foreigners welcome.
Hopefully, this article will help you land a part-time job in Korea while studying. To learn more information about study options in the country, check out our Study in Korea and Open Courses pages!
