28,000 Koreans Working, Enjoying Holidays in Australia

More than 28,000 young Koreans are working and enjoying holidays in Australia, making Korea the second largest holder of the working holiday visa after the United Kingdom for the country.

Between July 2006 and June 2007, 28,562 working holiday visas were issued to Koreans, and since then the number has steadily grown.

The immigration officer at the Australian Embassy Paul Smith, however, said the number of Korean participants who are actually in Australia exceeds that of British participants, which is an indication of its popularity in Korea. Korea joined Australia's Working Holiday Visa Program in 1995.

Three young Koreans who have left Korea to acquire English fluency and travel at the same time in Australia say it takes a decent level of English fluency to kill two birds with one stone.

Kim Hyung-dong, 27, went to Australia last year with little expectation, as he describes. "It just sounded charming to earn to travel and learn English,'' Kim said.

It was his friend who motivated him. Soon after he arrived in Australia, Kim said he realized that there weren't many options at hand.

He worked for a painting company owned by a Korean. And he shared a room with one of co-workers.

After a few months, he took a job picking oranges outside Sydney, as one of the requirements of the Australian Working Holiday Visa (WHV).

A WHV participant cannot work longer than six months with one employer, Smith explained, which is why it's called `` a holiday visa.''

He said those who are more interested in working in Australia must apply for a working visa, not a working holiday visa.

Kim said that he had learned some basic English at the workplace and while traveling.

But ``it would have been successful if I'd had some level of basic language before departure,'' he said.

``I wish I had known more English. I'd suggest people who are going to Australia study English prior to their departure. It would get you better chances.''

Nam Wan-wook went to Australia in 1999 for a one-year stay. She considers her experience in Australia `` a grand success.''

She attributes her success to the Sydney Summer Olympics that took place during her program. "I volunteered during the Olympics, which nurtured my English fluency and confidence."

Drawing on the experience and English skills she gained in Austrailia, Nam went on to do two more working holiday programs in Canada and New Zealand.

Jung Kyoung-jin, 28 has just returned from Australia for a temporary visit. She worked at various hair salons as a hairdresser.

She found an employer who wished to hire her, and returned home to switch to a working visa.

All three shared the view that without a certain level of English ability, it's hard to get into an ideal work environment that people expect.

``It is almost out of the question to get a job you'd want without a certain level of English,'' Jung says. ``Simple jobs like a waitress using a rather limited level of language wouldn't even be available unless you speak English. And those who fail to do that seem to create their own downfall.''

A few weeks ago, SBS televised a program that shed light on those Korean holiday workers in Australia whose holidays had not turned out that well. Among the interviewees were some who had fallen into prostitution or who had been abused by their employers ¯ mostly Korean.

To avoid such pitfalls Smith suggested students enroll a short-term English course when first arriving in Australia before hunting for a job.

``You would get to know people in the class,'' which are more likely to help you land on a job, Smith said.

- Kim Se-jeong, The Korea Times

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