Summer internship opportunities for international students in Busan will soon be arranged by the city, according to the Busan Regional SMEs and Startups office on Tuesday.

The regional office will accept applications between Wednesday and April 29 from Busan-based companies interested in participating in the city's international student internship program.


The program helps companies hire international students as employment-linked interns, and participating companies must be willing to hire exceptional interns as regular employees after the program ends. The salaries of interns hired through the program will be fully funded by the city, with interns also getting paid through their internships.

Ten companies will be selected, with funding for up to 30 international students available for one-month internships that will take place in July or August. Job seekers who wish to apply must be enrolled in a degree program at a university in Busan, or have graduated from one.

Job openings will be uploaded after the companies are selected, accepting applications between May 7 and 30.

Before the internship starts, students will take classes to learn business Korean and Korean corporate culture through the Busan Global City Foundation during the third and fourth week of June.

To successfully carry out the internship program, the Busan Regional SMEs and Startups office signed a memorandum of understanding with Korea Southern Power and the Busan Global City Foundation.

"As the working-age population in Busan falls due to the overall population decline and aging society, local companies are facing significant difficulties in hiring employees," said Kang Gi-sung, head of the Busan Regional SMEs and Startups office. "We hope the internship project helps small- to mid-sized companies hire professional talent, solve their labor shortage problem and also bring more international students to the city to benefit the local community and universities."



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