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2009 Spring – Korea Post-Fair Report
Report Contents:
Pre-Fair Orientation: Korean Student Market Status
AIEF’s pre-fair orientation took place at the Oakwood Premier Hotel in Seoul on the morning of Saturday, March 21st. At the orientation, U.S. Embassy Consular Officer Mr. Chris Beenhouwer noted that there has been a spike in travel from Korea to the USA since the implementation of the visa waiver program. Beenhouwer observed that the U.S. Embassy has been seeing many younger students, such as high school students on J exchange programs, who may eventually want to go to college in the United States. New York and California are the most popular destinations, but many students wish to attend colleges in locations that have a low Korean population, he said. Beenhouser stated that the student visa issuance rate in Seoul is about 95 percent, and that it takes about one week to process a student visa.
Mr. Stephen Smith, from AIEF’s Washington, D.C., office, presented statistics from IIE’s 2008 “Open Doors” report showing that the total number of Korean students studying in the USA increased by around 10.8 percent over the previous year to 69,124 in 2008. Smith pointed out that 47.6 percent of Korean students in the USA study at the undergraduate level, with 35.7 percent at the graduate level, 9.4 percent in optional practical training programs, and 7.2 percent in language and other programs. He also mentioned that the January 2009 SEVIS Quarterly Report shows Korea to be the country with the most active F & M visa students in the USA, totaling 110,083.
Referring to recent developments in Korea’s education sector, Smith said that there is a major initiative to promote English language proficiency in Korean schools. Korea plans to hire 23,000 “Teaching English in English” (TEE) teachers between 2009 and 2013, said Smith. He further noted that Korea plans to set up a global education campus in the Incheon Free Economic Zone (FEZ) in 2010, focusing on the information technology and biotech fields. Several local educational institutions and three U.S. universities have signed on to participate, he said.
It has been speculated that the depreciation of the Korean won could impact the number of Korean students studying abroad, said Smith. He noted that employment assistance from the Korean government is planned for university students and graduates this year, owing to the rising unemployment situation. Despite the current economic situation, some analysts assert that Korean students intending to pursue advanced degrees at U.S. schools are still expected to go abroad, Smith said.
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Pre-Fair Publicity
AIEF’s Fair was publicized in a wide variety of Korean media, including websites, newspapers, flyer, posters, radio programs, signs, placards, banners, and invitation cards.
 
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Seoul Fair Statistics
The 2009 Spring American Education Fair in Seoul ran from March 21-22 in COEX as part of the biannual Korea Student Fair. Estimated attendance for this two-day event was 35,170, with more than 6,000 fairgoers visiting AIEF’s American Pavilion.
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Seoul Fair Highlights
Prominently located near the main entrance to the Korea Student Fair venue in COEX, the American Pavilion was decorated with a red, white and blue motif. The American Pavilion, organized and coordinated by AIEF, was reserved exclusively for authorized U.S. school representatives. Representatives from the U.S. Embassy and the Fulbright offices in Korea were provided with booths so they could answer questions posed by fair attendees. At the entryway to the American Pavilion, our staff at the AIEF booth offered free counseling and directed student traffic.
As a complimentary service provided to American Education Fair exhibitors, AIEF arranged for interpreters from Korean colleges and universities to translate for the representatives in each booth of the American Pavilion.
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UScampus Guide
Free copies of the new UScampus Guide were eagerly snatched up by Fair visitors. Created by AIEF, this semiannually published magazine offers accurate and up-to-date information to international students interested in studying in the United States.
Complimentary copies of the magazine are distributed at all of AIEF’s American Education Fairs in Asia, as well as at EducationUSA Centers, public libraries, and other sites in the region. If you are interested in submitting an article or placing an advertisement in
UScampus Guide, please e-mail
info@aief-usa.org.
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Seoul Special Seminars
In a presentation room on the third floor of COEX, a series of seminars for students was offered on various topics, including “Community Colleges in America,” “Why Western Illinois is the Best in the Midwest,” “User-Created Study Abroad: Suggestions on Critical Use of the Internet,” and “How to Find the Best ESL School for You.” At the request of AIEF, U.S. Embassy consular officers Ms. Elizabeth Lee and Ms. Michelle Taylor provided presentations to Korean students and parents on the student visa application process.
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AIEF’s Student Tracking System
Pre-Fair online registration was offered to grant students complimentary entrance to the Korea Student Fair. Visitors to the American Pavilion were encouraged to register their educational goals and contact details in AIEF’s student tracking system. All registered student data has been verified, entered into the AIEF computer database and sent to each school that participated in the American Pavilion.
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Seoul Social
To top off the first day of the Fair, American Education Fair participants enjoyed a delightful mix of German and Korean dishes at “O’Kim’s Brauhaus” restaurant in COEX. This informal Saturday evening dinner was co-hosted by KTF president Mr. Hongyu Lee and AIEF.
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2009
Summer and Fall Fairs in Asia
The schedule for AIEF’s 2009
Summer and Fall American Education Fairs in Asia is as follows:
2009 Summer Fair Dates:
June 13-15: Beijing
June 20-21: Shanghai
2009 Fall Fair Dates:
September 24: Busan
September 26-27: Seoul
October 1: Singapore
October 3-4: Taipei
October 5: Kaohsiung
October 6: Taichung
Online registration for AIEF’s 2009
Summer and Fall Fairs is currently available at:
http://www.aief-usa.org/services/signup_fair.htm. For more information, please visit our Website or call the AIEF’s California office at 714-985-1995.
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