According to the 2021 Basic Education Statistics released by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Korea Educational Development Institute, a total of 162,281 foreign students are studying at domestic universities. Among them, Chung-Ang University (CAU) has 3,302 international students as of 2021, which is the third highest after Kyung Hee University (4,067) and Sungkyunkwan University (3,376). Therefore, it is easy to see foreign students when taking classes at CAU. Also, it is common to collaborate with international students when working on team projects. However, the relationship between international students and Korean students cannot be considered smooth. As the number of international students in Korea continues to increase and the number of international students at CAU remains high, it is imperative to identify and solve the current problems that hinder the coexistence of international students and Korean students.
Why International Students Are Increasing
Comparing the 3,481 international students studying in Korea in 1999 to the 162,281 in 2021, it can be seen that the number of students studying in Korea has increased more than 40 times over the past 20 years. There are two main reasons for the increase in the number of international students. First, it is because of the announcement of the 2015 Ministry of Education (MOE)'s "Plan to expand the attraction of international students.” The number of foreign students continues to increase after setting a goal to increase the number of foreign students to 200,000 by 2023. In other words, the government will solve the problem of decreasing student population in Korea will be solved by bringing in foreign students. Second, universities are also actively appealing to foreign students as they can receive advantages from doing so. As of 2021, university tuition has been frozen for 13 years, and many universities are suffering from financial difficulties. Since 2009, the government started a half-price tuition policy to minimize the burden of tuition fees for college students, and tuition fees have been frozen. In addition, universities located in the metropolitan area have limitations in expanding their number of admissions under the Seoul Metropolitan Area Readjustment Planning Act. Therefore, it is impossible to create new departments in order to receive more students. Foreign students are the ones who help solve these difficulties of universities. As foreign students are selected outside the quota, there is no limit to tuition and the number of selected students. CAU’s 2022 recruitment guidelines clearly reveal the difference between tuition fees for Korean national students and tuition fees for international students. It is becoming a way for universities that are finding it increasingly difficult to attract new students and are suffering from financial difficulties to survive, with one out of three local universities expected to have a "70% recruitment rate" or less in 2024.
The Reasons Korean Students Think Conflicts Happen with International Students
Interviews were conducted with two Korean students (H, who is in the third year in the Department of Business Administration, and S, who is in the second year in the Department of English Language & Literature) who have taken classes with international students. Both students who responded to the interview agreed that there were conflicts between Korean students and international students. H and S cited the common advantage of taking classes with international students is that they can listen to stories from international students’ different perspectives from various cultures. Additionally, S said that watching foreign students working hard to learn Korean positively influenced her and she could have a chance to encounter foreign languages. H said that the reason for the conflict is a difference in cultures, so it seems that conflicts arise due to different standards of each when working on team projects or in classes. S selected difficulty in communicating as the main reason. In the case of classes conducted in Korean, the progress of the class is slow because international students cannot fully understand the class, and in particular, conflicts seem to arise due to poor communication with Korean students when international students are not good at either Korean or English. Through this, both students chose an international student mentoring program as the most effective conflict mitigation activity currently being implemented on campus. In particular, each said that since international students and Korean students have different cultural backgrounds, there is inevitably a difference in language and culture. In response, H added that additional measures are needed so that international students and Korean students can naturally harmonize by understanding and communicating about each other's cultures.
The Reasons International Students Think Why Conflicts Happen with Korean Students
Interviews were conducted with two international students (J and K, first year students in the Department of Business Administration, Chinese International Students) who had taken classes with Korean students at CAU. Both students answered that they thought there is a conflict between Korean national students and international students. K said that the class he took with Korean students helped him naturally adapt to Korea, and both students took a positive stance on taking classes with Korean students. It was because they could learn words used by Korean students of their age and become friends with them. However, at the same time, he replied that it was not easy to take classes in Korean. J said that it was difficult to actively participate in classes and projects in Korean, and there were differences in what was commonly understood due to different cultural backgrounds between Korean students and international students. In response, both students said they would like more communication spaces between Korean students and international students. Both students are participating as mentees in the international student mentoring program conducted by CAU, and they said that this activity was very helpful in adapting to Korean university life and helped them learn how to get along with Korean students.
University’s Status and Solution
In order to create a more advanced school appropriate to the increasing number of international students, it is essential to find a way to coexist between Korean and international students. In September, CAU’s Office of International Affairs launched a hashtag campaign to enhance global competitiveness and ease discrimination against foreign students. The campaign, which runs this semester, targets all school members including international students. The campaign which allows international students and Korean students to naturally mingle through social networks is expected to help more students become interested in the globalization of CAU. However, based on the interview conducted by CAH, both Korean students and international students want a place of communication that can be shared. International students who have grown up in various countries are not familiar with Korean culture and society, and Korean students are not familiar with foreign cultures and societies. As a result, conflicts seem to arise because the two groups do not have a communication space that serves as an intermediate bridge to know each other's position. Since the Global Lounge, which used to be a venue for communication, is not in operation due to COVID-19, the school's countermeasures are urgent. In addition, it is necessary to expand mentoring programs operated by each department that responded well to both Korean and international students. Only a small number of students are selected and participate in this program. For example, as of the this semester, only five mentors will be selected from the Department of English Language and Literature, eight from the Department of Advertising and Public Relations, and 10 from the Department of Psychology. It seems necessary to increase the number of active students so that more can interact with international students. In addition, it is believed that establishing and providing related liberal arts or cultural guidelines so that students can naturally accept multiculturalism and help them understand each other.
As the situation in which Korean students could not interact smoothly continues due to the repeated spread of COVID-19, the opportunities for Korean students and international students to interact have almost disappeared. Students who did not understand each other's position due to miscommunication are increasingly complaining about conflict. In order to become a CAU that grows together, the school must create new policies. The school and students to share their grievances and think of appropriate solutions for the coexistence of international and Korean students. Both international and Korean students are students of CAU. CAH hopes that the conflict between international students and Korean students will be resolved smoothly soon.